The Los Angeles Rams are doing everything in their power to build an unbeatable squad. With the reigning MVP, Matthew Stafford, already on the roster, they’ve put in a ton of resources into the defense by trading for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie.
But with Aaron Donald also coming out of retirement, former quarterback Dan Orlovsky compared them to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Tom Brady, who won Super Bowl 55. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the NFL world disagrees with his comparison.
Tom Brady to the Buccaneers Was Nowhere near Aaron Donald to the Rams
Last year, the Rams were in the thick of things in the NFC, making it all the way to the Conference Championship Game before bowing out to the eventual champions, the Seattle Seahawks. A major problem for them, especially in the second half of the season, was the defense.
Adding Garrett and McDuffie seemed like a perfect fix for that problem, with Donald serving as the icing on the cake. But after the news became official, Orlovsky framed it as a one-to-one similarity with the 2020 Buccaneers on “Get Up.”
“This is Brady going to the Bucs. That was the last time a team went into the season being that much of a favorite,” Orlovsky said.
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The clip immediately went viral as fans found the comparison impossibly wrong.
https://t.co/V7P03nZHOP pic.twitter.com/jUbhin9kVj
— Brandon… (@B_Wi11s) August 31, 2026
“Not even remotely similar,” one fan argued, before another fan gave a history lesson about the difference in odds between the two teams before their respective seasons began:
“What? (The) Rams are 5-1 favorites. After Brady joined the Bucs, odds jumped to around 18-1 for the Super Bowl, placing (the) Bucs tied for third-best in (the) NFC behind teams like the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints in just the NFC.”
What? Rams are 5-1 favorites
After Brady joined the Bucs odds jumped to around 18-1 for the Super Bowl, placing Bucs tied for third-best in NFC behind teams like the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints in just the NFC
— Benny (@BennyC1950) August 31, 2026
Another fan believed that the key difference lay in the teams’ respective needs. While he argued that Tampa Bay needed a top-tier quarterback, the Rams had already added Garrett to the defensive line and didn’t have a pressing need for Donald.
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“Nope. (The) Buccaneers needed a QB who wouldn’t turn it over over 30 times in a season, costing them numerous games,” the fan said. “Brady joined a great situation where (a) QB was the need. Rams’ glaring weakness wasn’t filled by Aaron Donald.”
Nope. Buccaneers needed a QB who wouldn’t turn it over over 30 times in a season costing them numerous games. Brady joined a great situation where QB was the need. Rams glaring weakness wasn’t filled by Aaron Donald.
— PackersHome (@PackersHome) August 31, 2026
Another fan added, “Ummmm, people did not expect the Bucs to win that year. Nick Wright said he was the worst QB in the division. The Saints were bigger favorites and that was just the division.”
Ummmm, people did not expect the Bucs to win that year. Nick Wright said, he was the worst QB in the division. The Saints were bigger favorites and that was just the division
— Christopher Scott (@Iam_ChrisJ) August 31, 2026
One fan, though, put forward the most straightforward difference between the two situations, pointing out, “Rams were not 7-9 last year.”
Rams were not 7-9 last year
— Don Keedic (@KeedicDon69) August 31, 2026
All in all, the vast majority of social media was firmly against the idea that the two situations were even remotely similar.
According to PFN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Rams’ offense ranked best in the league last season, while defensively, they ranked fifth on PFN’s Defense Impact Metric.
Now, with the blockbuster additions that the roster has seen, there is no denying that expectations are at a fever pitch for the Rams. It remains to be seen if they can make those hopes a reality. But given their roster, it is hard not to see them as the team to beat in the NFL.
