Byron Young is going into the final season of his four-year, $5.56 million rookie contract with the Los Angeles Rams in 2026. Coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2025 and entering a contract year, Young has set some big goals for himself this season.

“I need to get to All-Pro,” Young said. “I need to be a guy where when it comes to that third down and long and we need to have it, I come through. I’ll force a bad play or force a bad decision. That’s what it is for me. I want to be that guy where they look to find, ‘OK, we need a stop. We’re behind. Or we need to seal the deal.’ I want to be one of those crunch-time situation guys.

“Someone like Myles Garrett.”

The 28-year-old linebacker has played three seasons with the Rams and became teammates with two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, this season.

Young Asks Garrett For Advice

Young told reporters he asks Garrett a lot of questions about his perspective on certain plays and rushes during practice. He said Garrett has taught him to go into every pass rush believing he could make a sack.

“He gets chipped and he gets the slide. He gets triple-teamed and he still has the mindset of, ‘I’m going to beat that,'” Young said. “And he still beats that. He always has a plan.

“… I’m not saying I don’t believe in every rush when I take it, but it’s understanding how powerful that is. The mind is a powerful thing. If you put a negative thought in there, you’re going to get negative results.”

Young and Garrett will be big pieces of the Rams' defense this season as Los Angeles chases after a Super Bowl ring at SoFi Stadium in February.