RAMS TO RE-SIGN VETERAN SAFETY WITH STARTING EXPERIENCE
The Rams made the move to reunite with John Johnson last year, bringing the former Super Bowl LIII starter back after his Browns release. Working on a holiday, the club will keep Johnson in the fold.
Johnson re-signed with the Rams on Thursday, the team announced. He will join some new safeties in L.A., most notably Kamren Curl. With Thursday’s agreement poised to extend Johnson’s second Rams stint to two years, this will be his sixth season with the team.
After the Browns cut bait on Johnson’s three-year, $33M deal in 2023, he played in every Rams game last season. The 2017 third-round pick made eight starts and lined up with Los Angeles’ first-stringers in the team’s narrow wild-card loss in Detroit. Going into his age-28 season, Johnson will vie for another regular role at a position group that has seen some offseason updates.
As they did Johnson three years ago, the Rams let safety starter Jordan Fuller walk in free agency. The Day 3 find wound up with the Panthers. The Rams replaced him with Curl, who signed a modest contract (two years, $9M) despite being one of the top free-agent DBs available. Curl’s contract overlaps with Russ Yeast‘s rookie deal. With both Curl and Yeast signed through 2025, Los Angeles also added Kamren Kinchens in the third round. Despite Fuller’s exit, Johnson returns to a more crowded group.
Johnson played 574 defensive snaps last season, making 42 tackles and intercepting two passes. Pro Football Focus ranked Johnson 77th at the position, however, with no free-agency rumors following the Boston College alum this offseason. Johnson played for just $1.1M last season; it stands to reason his third Rams contract comes in at a similar rate.
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