Getty Former Baltimore Ravens safety Eric Weddle looks on during a November 2017 game.
The Los Angeles Rams have activated two former Baltimore Ravens safeties, Eric Weddle and Blake Countess, for their January 17 Wild Card matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic also reported the elevations of Weddle and Countess from the Rams practice squad, which comes shortly after Los Angeles officially ruled out starting safety Taylor Rapp due to a concussion.
Weddle came out of retirement on January 12 to re-sign with the Rams, his last NFL team, after their other starting safety, Jordan Fuller, was placed on injured reserve, per the NFL’s official transaction report.
Weddle said that getting a call from the Rams was “the opportunity of a lifetime, quite honestly,” per the Rams’ Stu Jackson.
With Rapp and Fuller both out, Weddle could immediately step into a starting role against the Cardinals given his 13 years of experience and firsthand knowledge of the Rams’ defensive scheme. The veteran safety started 16 games for the Rams in 2019, finishing second on the team with 108 tackles.
Countess was also signed by the Rams on January 12 after spending most of the 2021 season on Baltimore’s practice squad. He did not make a single appearance for the Ravens, despite their depleted secondary, so he’s unlikely to play a major role vs. Arizona. But with 809 special teams snaps under his belt, Countess could still make a contribution to the Rams’ efforts against the Cardinals.
Rams Confident About Weddle’s Fitness
The 37-year-old safety’s return of the NFL did not come without concerns, as he has been out of the league for just over two years. But both Weddle and Rams head coach Sean McVay are confident in Weddle’s ability to take the field vs. the Cardinals.
“It’s been 749 days since Eric Weddle last played in the NFL, but the 37-year-old emphasized that he’s continued to train like he’s playing football,” said ESPN’s Lindsey Thiury on January 17, noting that “there could be some concern whether he’s in game shape.”
Rams-Cardinals on SportsCenter: Eric Weddle’s return from retirement and Kyler Murray’s nerves (or lack thereof) ahead of first playoff game.
“McVay is looking on the bright side,” continued Thiury, “saying that [Weddle] is probably fresher than he’s ever been at this point in his career” after two years off from football.
Weddle seems ready to play, telling Thiury that “parts of the job have come back to him like second nature” in the week since he returned to Los Angeles.
How Much Will Weddle Play Vs. Arizona?
Still, Weddle hasn’t played full-speed professional football since December 2019, so he may not be ready to play a full game on defense right away, especially in a playoff matchup against a talented Cardinals offense.
Weddle “certainly expects to play a role,” per Thiury, especially with Rapp and Fuller both out, but the speed of Cardinals star quarterback Kyler Murray and rookie wide receiver Rondale Moore could make Weddle a liability in certain situations.
Thiury also reported that McVay didn’t offer any details regarding Weddle’s workload vs. Arizona, only saying that the Rams planned to take it “one snap at a time.”
Weddle does have a longstanding relationship with Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris dating back to the 2007 Senior Bowl, when Morris coached Weddle. However, Morris was not in Los Angeles during Weddle’s first stint with the Rams.
Still, he praised Weddle’s “familiarity with the coaches…how they coach and how they talk,” on January 14, according to Jackson, so it appears that the Rams aren’t afraid of relying on Weddle when they need to.
“Being able to speak a lot of the same language, the movement, skills, all the things that we value, are some of the things and the reasons that you’re bring in a guy like Eric Weddle,” Morris said.