Rams Training Camp Day 5: First full-pads practice at LMU, defense answers the run-heavy script

After Thursday’s off day, the Rams returned to the field on Friday for their first full-pads session of the 2026 training camp schedule at LMU. The day mattered for a simple reason, padding changes the tempo and the contact, and it is usually where position battles start to separate themselves more clearly than in walkthroughs.

Team observers framed Day 5 as an early check on intensity across multiple units. The practice included a run-heavy approach that tested the defensive front and the discipline of linebackers and secondary players against harder contact and tighter rushing windows. In those live periods, the defensive standouts were highlighted as the group that most reliably adjusted and finished plays.

On the defensive line, the Rams’ camp notes also addressed availability for marquee talent. Myles Garrett was mentioned in the team’s observations as scheduled to take a rest day, and the framing suggested the staff was balancing repetitions with workload management at this early stage of padded work. Rather than reading it as a setback, the rest-day reference was presented as part of the plan for getting players through camp without overextending them too quickly.

On offense, Davante Adams was likewise listed for a rest day in the same set of Day 5 observations. With Adams sidelined for that particular padded session, the team’s attention naturally shifted to how other receivers handled the snaps and how the passing game generated work even without one of the most accomplished targets in the group.

At quarterback, the Rams’ Day 5 write-up singled out Stetson Bennett IV as one of the more noticeable performers. The team’s assessment emphasized that Bennett’s play translated to the kinds of decisions that matter once practices start to include full-speed contact, including quick reads, ball placement, and effective command under pressure.

Along the defense-and-throwing-matchups portion of the day, Ty Simpson was another player named among the camp’s most improved or most impactful looks. The observations portrayed Simpson’s overall effectiveness in the practice environment as one of the reasons the Rams’ coaching staff had positive takeaways from a run-heavy day, particularly in the way he responded to the flow of plays.

What to watch next is how those Day 5 themes carry into the next padded sessions. If the Rams’ emphasis on physical rushing continues, expect the defensive questions to remain central, especially around how quickly the linebacking group and secondary can align and finish when blocks get driven into the second level. Meanwhile, with Garrett and Adams listed as rest-day participants, the next day of camp will likely reveal how quickly the Rams restore their top-end talent into the live-work rotation.