Los Angeles Rams free safety Eric Weddle has announced his decision to retire following the 2019 NFL season. It appears there were a number of factors that led to him hanging his cleats up for good.
Weddle acknowledged the possibility of retirement after the Rams season finale heading into the offseason. The veteran said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show that he never planned omg overstaying his welcome:
“I’ve always told myself and told teammates and friends and family that I was not going to be the guy that held on too long – held on that extra year, couldn’t run anymore and ended up getting benched for the young guy. Or the team’s not having success, so they want to go with the young guy. I’ve always told myself that was never going to be the case for me, and playing this past season with L.A. giving me one more chance to live my dream, and I gave it my all.”
Although Weddle's stint in Los Angeles was rather short, he managed to make an immediate impression on his new teammates and coaches by being voted a team captain. Unfortunately, he largely struggled to make his presence felt while serving as a stabilizing factor for a secondary that experienced plenty of turnover with trades and injuries. He finished 2019 campaign with 108 tackles and four pass deflections.
The voids over the top made way for rookie safety Taylor Rapp to take on an integral role on defense. As a result, Weddle had a feeling that the Rams were likely planning on moving forward with Rapp and John Johnson as their new safety tandem in the 2020 NFL season.
Weddle's decision to retire essentially solidifies the notion that this may be the case.
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