Through the first seven games of their 2025 campaign, the Los Angeles Rams have had two players on the field for over 98% of their defensive snaps – safeties Quentin Lake and Kamren Curl.

While Lake’s story from sixth-round pick to starter on the verge of a big payday is impressive, Curl’s journey from seventh-round pick of the Washington Commanders to full-time starter is just as awe-inspiring.

This year, Curl has recorded 57 tackles (two for a loss), four passes defensed and one sack while helping turn Chris Shula’s unit into one of the best defenses the league has seen this year.

In 2024, coming off of four years in Washington, Curl signed a two-year, $9 million deal with the Rams that he’s probably outplayed already, and while appearing on “NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov,” the defensive back shared what sold him on joining Los Angeles.

“That free agency period then, that was pretty crazy.” Curl said. “There were a lot of ups and downs, but I ended up with the Rams. I felt like that was the best fit for me, honestly. The coaches we have here and the team we have, but I just felt like McVay was the only coach to call me, honestly, like personally. We talked, you know what I’m saying. That really showed me the interest he really had in me and the conversation we had. We had a real, real good conversation on what the plans were for me and what he sees in me. That really was what made my decision for me, honestly.

When I got in the building, it just confirmed it, everything I believe in, the type of coach he is, and the coaches he has around him and the overall culture that they have at the Rams is winning culture. You can tell when you get in the building that everybody is held accountable. You’re still having fun, but everybody knows when it’s time to work, it’s time to work.”

Curl and Lake are both set to hit the market this offseason, and there’s a strong chance that they both receive big raises whether they re-sign with the Rams or depart for a deal elsewhere.

For now, the former’s performance down the stretch could be the difference between Los Angeles making a deep run in the playoffs or exiting early.

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