The

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 44th year with the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) and the 36th season in Los Angeles. The Rams looked to improve on their 11-5 record from 1980. The team failed to improve upon their 11-5 record, and finished with a mediocre 6-10 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1972. This year's Rams squad also suffered the humiliation of being the first to be swept by NFC West rival

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. For the season, the Rams converted from gray facemasks to blue facemasks.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Undrafted free agents

The Rams were touted as a possible Super Bowl contender prior to this season. However, Vince Ferragamo, who had previously led the Rams to Super Bowl XIV and set a Rams record the previous season with 30 touchdown passes, decided to bolt for the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...

Pat Haden Patrick Capper Haden (born January 23, 1953) is the former athletic director at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles from August 2010 to June 2016. He played quarterback for the USC Trojans before playing professionally in ...

was named the starter, but with most of the offensive weapons that Ferragamo had, notably WR's

Preston Dennard Preston Jackson Dennard (born November 28, 1955, in Cordele, Georgia) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers. He played college football at the Unive ...

and

Billy Waddy Billy Waddy (February 19, 1954 – January 21, 2022) was an American professional football player who played wide receiver for seven seasons for the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings. Waddy was a legitimate deep threat, who averaged 16 ...

. Also, the Rams would benefit from the return of running back Wendell Tyler, who had missed most of the previous season with a hip injury from an automobile accident.

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Regular season

Schedule

Standings

References

External links

1981 Los Angeles Rams
at Pro-Football-Reference.com Los Angeles Rams Los Angeles Rams seasons Los Ang {{Americanfootball-season-stub