The Los Angeles Rams had a rollercoaster season in 2022 following an impressive Super Bowl victory in 2021. After an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18, the Rams finished with 12 losses this season, which is the most in NFL history for a team that is coming off a Super Bowl win.
Injuries and other issues caused the Rams to trend downward this season, leading some to believe that Sean McVay could step away from coaching in the offseason. But before an undoubtedly active offseason begins for Los Angeles, there were some positives this season and some players deserve awards for their efforts.
While the NFL announces their official awards at a later date, we’ll be discussing who deserves the MVP, the Rookie of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year awards for the Rams in 2022.
MVP: Bobby Wagner
The Rams recently handed out their team awards and they unquestionably got their MVP selection right with Bobby Wagner. The veteran inside linebacker joined Los Angeles ahead of the 2022 season following his release from Seattle and he proved he’s still one of the best at his position.
The All-Pro linebacker recorded a team-high 140 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, a career-best six sacks, five pass breakups, and two interceptions this season. In a year where the Rams endured a plethora of injuries, the 32-year-old linebacker started in all 17 games and was a constant disruptor in the middle of the defense.
Rookie of the Year: Cobie Durant
Another team award the Rams got right was Rookie of the Year, which they gave to Cobie Durant. The first-year cornerback dealt with injuries of his own early in the season before he took on an expanded role in the secondary to conclude the year.
The fourth-round pick out of South Carolina State registered 22 tackles, five pass breakups, three interceptions, one sack, and a defensive touchdown while he led the NFL with 151 interception yards. With guys like Troy Hill and David Long Jr. hitting free agency for the Rams this offseason, Durant proved that he can be a starter moving forward.
Breakout Player of the Year: Cam Akers
There were multiple players considered here, but with the way he finished the season, Cam Akers deserves some praise. Despite it looking likely that he’d be traded or released early in the season, Akers compiled 512 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 104 attempts while he caught 11 passes for 99 yards in the final six games of the season.
You could point to favorable matchups as a reason for his late-season success, but it was a positive sign to see him excel following a grim start to the season. Even though the Rams could add a running back in the offseason, Akers likely earned himself a chance to see meaningful snaps again in 2023 with how he concluded this season.
Offensive Player of the Year: Cooper Kupp
Not many skill players had productive seasons for the Rams in 2022, so this is a perfect time to give Cooper Kupp his flowers. It’s hard to put together a comparable season after leading the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns the year before, but Kupp was on track for another stellar campaign before getting hurt in Week 10.
Before suffering a season-ending ankle injury that limited him to nine games, the reigning Super Bowl MVP led the Rams with 75 catches, 812 yards, and six touchdowns. Kupp was on pace to finish with 142 receptions, 1,534 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns while he still notched the second-most scrimmage yards among players on the Rams this season despite playing only nine games.
Defensive Player of the Year: Bobby Wagner
We have the only double-dip in awards with Wagner earning Defensive Player of the Year honors for us. Wagner may not have gotten selected to the Pro Bowl or voted as a first-team All-Pro this season, but the season he had in 2022 shouldn’t go unnoticed.
The savvy inside linebacker moved into ninth all-time in combined tackles (1,523) this season and he had his 11th straight year of tallying 100-plus tackles to begin his career. While some people were ready to write him off after being released by the Seahawks, Wagner showed he has plenty left in the tank in 2022.
