After an outstanding start to his Los Angeles Rams tenure, linebacker Nate Landman was rewarded with a three-year, $22.5 million contract extension that will keep him in Southern California for the foreseeable future.
Landman originally joined the Rams on a one-year contract during the offseason and immediately impressed his new teammates and coaching staff. He was named a captain and is wearing the green dot on defense this season.
Landman knew right away that he made a good decision by signing with the Rams, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“I think it really started with OTAs, that’s when I first noted the biggest difference of just, my happiness, my wife’s happiness,” Landman said Monday. “Getting around the guys, creating relationships with the linebacker room, the rest of the defense, some of the offensive guys, and then just, as time goes on, shared experience, working out, those relationships start to grow and blossom, and then you see the work being put on the field and our potential and everything that’s going down, the pieces that have been added to this team, it started really quick. And like I said, that’s just the established culture that’s been here. It’s conducive for success and for people to come in and be their best selves.”
Landman gave a special shoutout to Rams owner Stan Kroenke, general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay after signing his contract extension, which he believes changed his life:
“Just want to get on here and start it off by saying, thanks to (Rams Owner/Chairman) Mr. (E. Stanley) Kroenke, to (general manager) Les (Snead), (head coach) Sean (McVay) for this opportunity, believing in me, bringing me here. Great opportunity for my family,” Landman said. “This is a life-changing moment. Glad to be a Ram.”
The 27-year-old is grateful that he and the Rams were able to work out a new contract extension, and is looking forward to helping the team any way he can:
“It means a lot,” Landman said. “Talking to my wife and my parents, this is the happiest I’ve been and the most fun I’ve had playing football in my career, back from high school, college. This the pinnacle, and this is where I want to be. This is where I’m most happy. I love my teammates, I love my coaches, and you can tell that so many guys come here and thrive because of the culture that’s set forth here. The belief from the coaches, from your teammates, the way we play off each other, the way we celebrate each other. It’s just, it’s something you can’t explain. Unless you’re around the building, you got to kind of feel it. And it’s something that we’re growing. And you can see that the results are starting to show it.”
The Rams locking up Landman is a win for both sides as they get to retain their starting linebacker at a relatively cheap number for the next three years, while he gets his biggest payday as a player to date.
L.A. has been the perfect home for Landman and he will now shift his focus back to helping the team win the Super Bowl.
Nate Landman’s stats with Rams
Nate Landman has enjoyed a career year in his first season with the Rams. Through 11 games, he has recorded 98 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four passes defensed and an NFL-leading four forced fumbles.
