Rams safety Quentin Lake lands lucrative contract extension ahead of return to field

The 26-year-old primarily played special teams as a rookie before carving out a role in the slot in 2023. He then broke out last year as a versatile piece of the Rams’ secondary with 511 snaps in the slot, 398 as a free safety, and 244 in the box, per Pro Football Focus. This season, he has been the primary nickel in Los Angeles and ranks 12th in the league with 0.80 yards allowed per snap out of the slot (via PFF).

Lake’s contract ranks 11th among NFL safeties in terms of guaranteed money, per OverTheCap. The base value of his deal is unknown, but his maximum APY of $14M would also rank 11th. That is a solid raise over Lake’s Day 3 rookie contract while also being a strong value for the team after the safety market rose above $25.1M this offseason. Lake’s versatility is especially valuable to a Rams front office that does not invest a lot into their secondary. They can now approach the offseason hunting for value in free agency and the draft knowing that Lake can take on whatever role is needed to fill out the unit.

Extending Lake likely means that the Rams will not retain veteran safety Kamren Curl, whose contract expires at the end of the season. He will join a free-agent class that no longer includes Lake, but does have a number of other rising talents like Jaquan Brisker and Ronnie Hickman, among others. Of course, other teams will likely seek to retain their top pending free agents before the offseason begins, so the ranks of available safeties could dwindle by the time free agency actually approaches.