The Los Angeles Rams had one last set of roster moves to make before their Wild Card matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
They are turning to a pair of familiar faces.
That is a noteworthy aspect entering the win-or-go-home setting that is the NFL postseason. LA also lost to the Panthers during the 2025 regular season, setting the stage for a revenge opportunity with a trip to the Divisional Round on the line.
Rams Add 2 Defensive Players to Game Day Roster
GettyLos Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Rams posted on X on January 9 that they “Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) OLB Nick Hampton, S Tanner Ingle.”
Both players have spent plenty of time in the Rams’ system. That should make it easier for them to step in if needed. The Rams surely hope that they will not need to call on either beyond special teams or in mop-up duty en route to the next round.
The Rams drafted Hampton, taking him 161st overall in 2023.
He has played in 36 games in his career. That includes 12 during the 2025 regular season. All of his appearances are as a reserve.
Hampton has been on a roundabout journey with the Rams. The Rams waived the former Appalachian State standout early in December before bringing him back as a member of the practice squad once he officially cleared waivers.
Ingle, whom Rams head coach Sean McVay called a “human missile,” is a third-year pro.
A former undrafted free agent, Ingle has also gone from the Rams’ 53-man roster, the practice squad, and free agency during the regular season. Ingle has played in three games this season.
Panthers Get Pro Bowler Back Before Rams Game
GettyThe Miami Dolphins still must find a replacement for starting guard Robert Hunt before a game against the Cleveland Browns.
The Rams are not the only ones calling on reinforcements. The Panthers also added a pair of players to their roster, though not from the practice squad. Carolina activated starting offensive lineman Robert Hunt.
“The team activated the Pro Bowl guard from injured reserve on Friday, bringing back their enforcer on the offensive line, and one of the spiritual leaders of the team ahead of Saturday’s wild card game against the Rams,” Panthers.com’s Darin Gantt wrote on January 9. “Hunt’s been out since tearing his biceps tendon in Week 2 at Arizona, but has practiced the last two weeks to be ready for this.”
Notably, the Panthers did not activate guard Chandler Zavala. He was questionable on their injury report but has been ruled out.
The Panthers are just one of the challenges that McVay, Stafford, and the Rams face.
Rams Face Challenging Reality
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on before a game against the Carolina Panthers.
The Rams are taking on one of the five teams they lost to during the regular season. The setting does not help LA’s case, either.
That regular-season matchup was also in Carolina. The Rams were 5-4 on the road (7-1 at home) in 2025, for the third straight campaign. Stafford, in particular, is 22-16 on the road during his Rams tenure.
He is 3-4 against the Panthers in his career and is winless in three trips to Carolina.
McVay, Stafford, and the Rams could need the defensive side of their roster to come through big to notch a win on Saturday in the Wild Card Playoff opener.
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