More than two years after playing his last game, safety Eric Weddle came out of retirement to play for the Los Angeles Rams. With Weddle on the roster heading into the NFC Championship Game, let’s examine why the Rams reached out to the retired veteran heading into the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.
Eric Weddle returned to the Los Angeles Rams for the 2021-22 NFL playoffs
At the end of Week 18 of the 2021-22 season, the Rams celebrated winning the NFC West. However, it was not all good news, with the team suffering two injuries to their secondary. Jordan Fuller left the game against the San Francisco 49ers with a season-ending ankle injury. Meanwhile, Los Angeles placed fellow S Taylor Rapp into the concussion protocol.
With the Rams in desperate need of a safety, they turned to Weddle. Head coach Sean McVay had periodically spoken to Weddle since his retirement. According to Weddle, these calls were just him passing on things he saw from afar and providing advice. Yet, he received a phone call from Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to gauge his interest in joining the team for their playoff run.
The Rams are not the only team to reach out to the 13-year veteran
Since his retirement in 2019, Weddle said that several teams reached out to him. However, he was ready to walk away from football and spend time with his family. His children are between the ages of 7 and 14, and his family lives in San Diego. Spending eight months away from them was something Weddle was not comfortable with, so he turned down the offers.
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This offer from the Rams was different. The commitment was really only for four weeks at most. There was also the potential he could be home after just one week. Therefore, Weddle was willing to come out of retirement in what could be a final chance to win a Super Bowl. Heading into the NFC Conference Championship Game, he is just two wins away from returning to his family with a Super Bowl ring after playing 13 years without one.
Weddle played more than 80% of the defensive snaps against the Buccaneers
After the Rams eased Weddle into action on Wild Card Weekend (19 defensive snaps), LA leaned heavily on the veteran against the Buccaneers. Weddle was called upon to play a larger role with Rapp out for a second straight week.
Weddle made 4 tackles, but a play that did not register on the stat sheet drew the most attention. On a fourth-down play late in the game, Weddle was flagged for an unnecessary hit on Buccaneers WR Mike Evans. The play itself drew the attention because it was considered a dead-ball foul. That meant the Rams got the ball back as the pass was incomplete, with the penalty assessed to begin the following drive.
The attention was not on Weddle specifically initially but the call itself. After the game, more focus switched to Weddle, with accusations that he was headhunting Evans or that it was a cheap shot. The play proved crucial, as even though the Buccaneers would later tie the game up, the Rams would have time for Matthew Stafford to lead them down the field and set up the game-winning field goal.
With Rapp set to be cleared from the concussion protocol in time for the NFC Conference Championship, Weddle’s role may reduce this weekend. Nevertheless, his 13 years of NFL experience will be valuable to the Rams, whether on the field or the sideline.
