Rams, Quentin Lake agree to extension: Standout DB goes from sixth-rounder to captain, earns $42 million deal
Lake should be back from injury soon as the Rams make a postseason run
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The Los Angeles Rams expect to have defensive back Quentin Lake back from injury soon, and he'll now be with the team for years to come as well. Lake, a team captain, signed a three-year extension Thursday, the Rams announced.
The deal is worth $42 million, with $25.7 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. At $14 million annually, it is the 12th-largest per-year contract among all safeties. Lake, a sixth-round pick out of UCLA in 2022, is in the final year of his rookie deal and was set to hit free agency in the offseason. Instead, he'll stay put as another impressive draft-and-develop find for the Rams.
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Lake saw spot duty as a rookie and slightly more playing time in his second year, but he broke out in 2024, recording 111 tackles and a pair of sacks while showing off versatility playing all over the secondary. Lake, 26, was on his way to another strong season -- he had his first career interception and also a career-high 10 passes defensed -- before injuring his elbow in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Rams coach Sean McVay said this week that the Rams will open Lake's 21-day practice window and that the team expects to have him back for the first round of the playoffs. Though he's listed as a safety, Lake has played two-thirds of his snaps this season as a slot cornerback. He is Pro Football Focus' 12th-highest graded safety this season, and the Rams have allowed 5.0 yards per play with him on the field compared to 5.4 yards per play with him off the field.
The Rams dropped to 11-5 with a loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night and will close out the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The Rams currently occupy the NFC's No. 6 seed, but would jump to the No. 5 spot with a win over the Cardinals and if the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.
