For the first time in over a decade, the Los Angeles Rams head into the season with a player not named Rob Havenstein as their starting right tackle. Havenstein had locked up the right side of the Rams' offensive line since taking over in 2015 and remained a staple at that spot for 11 years. Finally, after an injury-riddled season last year, Havenstein called it a career and retired.
Taking over at the right tackle spot will be Warren McClendon. While McClendon is the Week 1 starter for the first time in his career, he started on the right side for a majority of the 2025 season. Given how he played, it would be hard for the Rams not to feel good about him at that spot going forward.
McClendon was the seventh-rated tackle via Pro Football Focus and started 13 games for the Rams last season, including three playoff starts. The only player with a higher pass-blocking efficiency rating than McClendon was Garett Bolles of the Denver Broncos . H e's one of the most important players when it comes to the Rams' 2026 success.
Still, flashbacks of the 2022 season are hard to just toss aside. Following the Rams' Super Bowl win in 2021, left tackle Andrew Whitworth rode off into the sunset and called it a career. Taking over for him at that spot was Joe Noteboom, a player the Rams h ad groomed as the eventual heir for that spot . However, that succession plan didn't work out. Noteboom struggled, and the Rams had a revolving door at that spot until they found Alaric Jackson .
There were positive signs with Noteboom as well. Whitworth struggled with injuries towards the end of his final season. Noteboom started three games, including two playoff games. His performances in the wild card and divisional round matchups played a role in the Rams making the Super Bowl.
Noteboom was credited with allowing two pressures in the two playoff games and showed enough for the Rams to give him a contract extension that offseason. That wasn't even necessarily the wrong decision from the Rams' front office. It made sense to trust Noteboom's development, especially after what he showed in the playoffs. However, much like when Noteboom was given the starting gig at left guard in his second season, he got hurt almost immediately, leaving a revolving door at that spot.
Heading into the 2026 season with Super Bowl expectations, the Rams are returning 10 of 11 Week 1 starters from last year. The only change is McClendon. It's hard to call it a change given how many games he started last year, but he's still a new face on the offensive line to start the year. It's different going into the season as the Week 1 starter.
"I think what's great about Warren is he's been so consistent," said head coach Sean McVay earlier this offseason. "He's always had that internal belief and confidence, but I do think when you get a chance to be able to have some tangible evidence, there's a real belief behind that. But I've always seen a guy that was steady."
Unlike with Noteboom, the Rams aren't necessarily committed to McClendon beyond this season. The 2026 season will be a prove-it year for McClendon. If he plays well, the Rams would certainly like to have him back, but they aren't forced into anything just yet. After Noteboom's small stretch of games, his rookie contract had expired, and the Rams had to make a decision.
It was a risk, and unfortunately it was one that didn't work out. The Rams will get a full year to see what McClendon can do as the starter before they have to make a long-term decision. That may result in McClendon's price going way up, but that's arguably better than the alternative. McClendon gets a chance to show consistency over two years. Back in 2024, he struggled, allowing nine pressures over two games.
Still, when the Rams could have replaced McClendon or added competitio this offseason, they opted to stand pat. The Rams drafted Keagen Trost in the third-round, but they didn't take a tackle earlier or sign someone in free agency, despite having chances to do so.
As Havenstein did for a decade, the Rams will hope McClendon continues to provide stability at the right tackle position. The Rams have been through a difficult offensive line transition before, but McClendon enters this opportunity with a larger sample size. If the Rams are going to meet their Super Bowl expectations, they'll be counting on McClendon to follow up on what he did last season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/onsi as Rams' Warren McClendon Must Avoid Joe Noteboom Outcome at Right Tackle .
