Versatile safety Quentin Lake agrees to a 3-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a three-year contract extension with Quentin Lake, the do-it-all defensive back who has become a key component of their defense over the past four seasons.

The Rams announced the deal Thursday with Lake, an Orange County native and a sixth-round pick out of UCLA in 2022. The team simultaneously designated Lake to return from injured reserve after a six-game absence with an elbow injury.

“It’s something that you dream of,” Lake said after practice. “I think the coolest thing about it was seeing the reaction from my teammates. When you have people yelling and screaming, congratulating you, coming up saying, ‘Well deserved,’ it makes you feel good.”

The son of former Pittsburgh Steelers star Carnell Lake seized a prominent role on the Rams' defense in 2023, and he currently serves as a team captain and defensive signal-caller. Depending on the situation, Lake can be seen lining up as a slot cornerback, a run defender in the box or a patrolling safety at the back of the defense.

In perhaps the greatest measure of the Rams’ esteem for Lake, he has become the first defensive draft pick to get a contract extension with the Rams since retired superstar Aaron Donald, who was drafted in 2014.

“I’m glad everything worked out,” Lake said. "It’s been in the works a long time, but I didn’t want that to be any type of distraction for me going on the field and playing.”

Lake has 160 tackles, four sacks, one fumble recovery and one interception over four seasons in Los Angeles.

Lake still doesn't expect to play this Sunday when the Rams (11-5) host the Arizona Cardinals (3-13), but the team is optimistic he will return for the postseason. He returned to practice to get an extra week of conditioning and acclimation to the Rams' current defensive setup.

Lake had surgery on his dislocated elbow in November, and his steadying presence has been missed by the Rams' defense, which had been one of the NFL's best this season. Los Angeles has ranked just 28th in scoring defense, 29th in yards allowed per play and 26th in big plays allowed over the past five weeks.

The Rams are headed to the playoffs for the third straight season despite losing back-to-back games for the first time this year. Lake has 23 tackles in three career playoff games.

Lake is the second key player on the Rams' defense to sign a three-year extension during the season. Linebacker Nate Landman, the free-agent signee who has seized a leadership role with a standout effort in his first season with Los Angeles, was rewarded with a $22.5 million deal in November.