Eric Weddle still has one year left on his contract with the Rams, but his time in Los Angeles could come to an end after only one season. With John Johnson set to return from injury in 2020 and Taylor Rapp looking like an obvious candidate to start opposite him at safety, there isn’t much room for Weddle in the future plans.
Fans know it and so does Weddle, and he made that very clear after Sunday’s win over the Cardinals. He told reporters in the locker room that he won’t be back with the Rams next season if he is a backup – and he’s fairly certain that’s what his role will be.
Rams S Eric Weddle is pretty strongly suggesting he won’t return. He says he doesn’t want to be a backup, and he thinks it’s “set in stone” that John Johnson & Taylor Rapp will be LA’s starting safeties next year.
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) December 30, 2019
Weddle had a mediocre season for the Rams in 2019, struggling to make many big plays on defense. He didn’t have a single interception for the second year in a row and only broke up four passes. He topped 100 tackles for just the fourth time in his career and started all 16 games, but his play left something to be desired.
His intangibles and leadership on the field and in the locker room are immeasurable, though. He was a big part of Rapp’s development, also helping the Rams’ other young defensive backs in their alignment and play diagnosis.
The Rams can save $4.25 million by cutting him in the offseason.
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