Steve Avila

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Rams' four-year, $9.3M extension for Steve Avila represents a slight overpay for an unproven interior lineman, earning a D+ CVI that reflects questionable timing more than player evaluation. At $2.3M annually with $7.4M guaranteed, Los Angeles is betting heavily on potential rather than production from a guard who hasn't yet established himself as even a solid starter in the league. The contract structure puts significant guaranteed money at risk for a player still working to prove he belongs in an NFL starting lineup, creating unnecessary salary cap exposure during a period when the Rams need cost certainty along their offensive line. While Avila showed flashes as a rookie, paying him like a proven commodity before he's demonstrated consistent performance is the type of premature investment that can handcuff roster flexibility. The Rams would have been better served letting Avila play out his rookie deal to establish his true value, rather than gambling $7.4M in guarantees on an unproven player who may never develop into the reliable starter they clearly hope he becomes.

Current Sentiment

Steve Avila's public narrative sits at a steady C+ heading into the 2026 season — cautiously optimistic but far from a groundswell of confidence, reflecting the measured tone that follows a developing interior lineman still establishing his individual identity. The dominant storyline driving coverage is his desire for a contract extension off his rookie scale deal, a signal that Avila and his camp believe he belongs in the Rams' long-term offensive line plans, and the media has largely framed that ambition sympathetically rather than skeptically. The complication is the financial reality in Los Angeles, where the Rams are simultaneously weighing cap decisions on multiple offensive linemen — the question of whether they can afford extensions for both Avila and Kevin Dotson has become a recurring thread in team coverage, injecting genuine uncertainty into what would otherwise be a feel-good retention story. That cap complexity also creates a disconnect between the warmth of the public narrative and what the performance grades actually reflect — a steady F performance grade suggests that on-field output has not yet made the extension case undeniable on its own merits. The Rams' recent offseason additions along the defensive front and skill positions signal a roster-building push ahead of the regular season opener 126 days out, which only intensifies the scrutiny on how Los Angeles allocates its remaining financial flexibility. At bottom, Avila is a low-profile third-year player whose narrative lives entirely in the contract-and-potential space right now — the story is sympathetic, the outcome is unresolved, and until either an extension gets done or the regular season forces the conversation onto the field, this sentiment grade is unlikely to move in either direction.