Getty Russ Yeast tackles Trenton Irwin on August 27, 2022 in Cincinnati.
After putting together a career-best campaign, safety Nick Scott unfortunately won’t be on the field with the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, January 8 in Seattle as he nurses a shoulder injury he sustained on Thursday, per head coach Sean McVay.
And in his place will be a rookie not only making his first NFL start, but one who comes from NFL bloodlines: Russ Yeast, the son of former NFL wide receiver Craig Yeast. Rams team reporter Stu Jackson confirmed that the seventh rounder out of Kansas State will make his starting debut versus the Seahawks.
“Sean McVay said safety Nick Scott (shoulder) is out for Sunday’s game against Seahawks in Seattle. This shoulder injury was sustained yesterday and is separate to the stinger he sustained last week, per McVay,” Jackson posted Friday at 2:06 p.m. Eastern. “Russ Yeast will start in place of Scott.”
Yeast’s NFL Ties
While Yeast will join fellow rookies Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick as first-year players who have earned starts for the Rams, the former Wildcat comes from a household where the father played three NFL seasons.
The elder Yeast came to the league as a fourth rounder (98th overall) to the Cincinnati Bengals in 1999 out of the University of Kentucky. The 5-foot-7, 165-pound Yeast made his mark more through the return game — collecting 1,695 all-purpose yards through special teams per Pro Football Reference. Craig Yeast was especially impactful on punt returns his rookie season by averaging 20.9 yards per punt there and scoring two touchdowns.
Salute to #obscurebengals PLAY Craig Yeast TD #BattleofOhio Wk 14 12/12/99. last🏈 game at Riverfront & the 2nd time the #Bengals played the #Browns in their return to the NFL. Club Member Craig Yeast ret. a punt 81 yds for a TD. Dillon add 192 & 3 TDs in a CIN win 44-28.
In his second season, Yeast earned more playing time with seven starts and got inserted into the Bengals offense and responded with 24 catches, 301 yards and earning 18 first downs off his catches. He additionally added 647 yards off kickoffs and 225 through punt returns. Yeast made his way over to the New York Jets in 2001, which would be his final season in the NFL.
Yeast Already Won Over Raheem Morris
While Yeast had to wait until Week 18 to get his chance at being inserting fully into the starting lineup, he has shown signs of producing when the Rams have called on him.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pounder went from one defensive snap in his first six games of action to seeing his snaps increase to 94 total in his last eight games — including the 34 defensive plays he received against the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day.
But it was after the Green Bay Packers game which told defensive coordinator Raheem Morris that Yeast is trekking upward with his development on defense.
“Really fired up where he can go, and really, what are they doing? They’re defining their roles moving forward when we are relevant, when that stuff really matters,” Morris said to reporters on December 23. “So that’s been great for Russ Yeast.”
Yeast then came back with a six-tackle day against the Broncos in the 51-14 trouncing, which is his current season-best mark. He’s now going to have to step in for a safety who put together a career-best 86 tackles with 57 solo stops and forced two fumbles.
He’s set to become the third member of the rookie DB class to start a game this season for the Rams. Also, fellow rookie Quentin Lake has seen action in eight games this season with 11 defensive snaps.