Eric Weddle's Second Calling With the Rams is More Than Having the Itch, it's an 'Opportunity of a Lifetime'

Two years removed from football, Eric Weddle answers the call to assist the Rams for a postseason run.

Author:
Nicholas Cothrel
Publish date:
Jan 14, 2022 10:12 AM EST

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Los Angeles Rams

Rams general manager Les Snead is no stranger to making headlines for his aggressiveness in bolstering his team's roster.

From the addition of Matthew Stafford last offseason – to Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. in-season – Snead always has something up his sleeve. On Wednesday, the Rams finalized a move that caught many by surprise, coming to terms with safety Eric Weddle, luring him out of retirement after stepping away for the last two seasons.

“It’s crazy to say this,” Weddle said Thursday, speaking with reporters via Zoom, “but it’s as if I never left.”

Weddle, a six-time Pro Bowl player and two-time All-Pro, laced up his cleats last in December of 2019 with the Rams.

The move is unconventional, relying on a player ahead of a postseason run who hasn’t actively played or practiced upon taking the field with a lot at stake.

Weddle, 37, shared Thursday that his daily regimen hasn’t entailed sitting on the couch for hours on end. He retired with a to-do list that includes a daily dose of workouts, coaching his son's youth football team and taking his children to games and practices.

He's also stayed in touch with a few of his former teammates with the Rams, frequently texting cornerback Jalen Ramsey. But after last week, when the Rams found themselves in a pinch at the safety position following an ankle injury that knocked Jordan Fuller out for the season and a head injury to Taylor Rapp that placed him in concussion protocol, it was defensive coordinator Raheem Morris who texted Weddle with optimism about making a return.

"You’re not fat and out of shape, are you?” Weddle said, referencing his conversation with Morris. “At that point, I knew what was coming.”

His familiarity with Morris stems from the 2007 Senior Bowl. Weddle hasn't played for Morris at any point throughout his 13-year career, so learning the state of the Rams' defense does come with some level of a learning curve. But Weddle, currently on the team's practice squad, stated that he didn’t miss any checks or calls during his first day at the team headquarters during the Rams' walk-through practice.

“I feel strong because I still lift, I’m still in great shape. … Now, timing, tackling and all that stuff could be behind," he said. "But at the end of the day, it’s in me. Like instincts take over.”

His role for Monday's game against the Cardinals is yet to be fully determined, Rams coach Sean McVay revealed. He'll wear number 20 during his season debut and provide the Rams with an impressive Rolodex of experience on the backend of the defense – an area the secondary lacks with Nick Scott and Terrell Burgess figuring to consume the bulk of the snaps during the Wild Card Round showdown.

“If I didn’t feel like I could go out there and be what I’m expected to be, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now,” Weddle said. “I feel amazing."

Weddle's highly respected career featured nine years with the San Diego Chargers, three years with the Baltimore Ravens and his final season with the Rams, prior to a second calling with L.A. this season. A career with high standards, Weddle logged 29 interceptions, four pick-sixes, 9.5 sacks, 38 tackles for loss and eight forced fumbles.

Miller, acquired by the Rams ahead of Week 9, compared the Rams' roster-building tendencies to the NFL's annual Pro Bowl event.

“It’s like we got the Pro Bowl over here,” Miller said. “We’ve got everybody.”

But with postseason play on the horizon, the only thing that matters at this point is productivity. Is McVay sure dipping into the retirement pool will pay dividends for the team in an effort of finding a stopgap at safety?

“One of the smartest, most cerebral players I’ve ever been around,” McVay said.

Instead of putting the game of football aside after calling it quits in February of 2020, Weddle consumed the sport just as if a die-hard fan of the team would. He's watched every Rams game, sometimes having to record them.

The Rams will take the field Monday night, hosting the Cardinals for their third meeting this season, with each of the previous two contests featuring the road team as the winner. L.A. will look to duplicate what they did to Arizona in Week 14, recording four sacks, two interceptions and eight pass breakups.

While it's probably unrealistic to expect Weddle to come in and play 50 to 60 snaps, he will deliver a helping hand to the Rams' youngsters on the backend while trying to slow down quarterback Kyler Murray.

“This is by no means me having an itch,” Weddle said. “It was just an opportunity of a lifetime.”

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