KEY POINTS
John Johnson III returns to the Los Angeles Rams, offering the club invaluable leadership and expertise.
With the addition of Johnson, Kamren Curl, Tre’Davious White, and Darious Williams, the Rams have completely redesigned their secondary.
Russ Yeast and Kamren Kinchens, two inexperienced defensive backs, will benefit greatly from Johnson’s seasoned presence.
The Los Angeles Rams have added a well-known player to strengthen their secondary. Veteran safety John Johnson III, who has three contracts with the Rams, was re-signed, the organization announced on Thursday.
Johnson’s return gives a youthful defensive unit more leadership and experience, though the terms of the deal were not made public.
Johnson has experience playing for the Rams. Johnson, who was selected by the team in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, played safety for the first four seasons in Los Angeles.
His game-winning interception in the NFC Championship game against the New Orleans Saints was crucial to the Rams’ 2018 Super Bowl journey. In Super Bowl 53, the Rams were defeated by the New England Patriots, but Johnson’s contributions cemented his position as an important defensive player.
Johnson left Los Angeles in 2021 to sign a big free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns.
But he didn’t stay in Cleveland for very long. Johnson was cut by the Browns after two seasons as a starter, during which his Rams won Super Bowl 56. In August 2023, he signed a one-year contract to rejoin the Rams.
Johnson was a bench player to start the previous season, but he soon returned to the starting lineup. His experienced presence and guidance were invaluable for a Rams defense full of young talent.
With 42 tackles and two interceptions at the end of the 2023 season, Johnson demonstrated his continued importance as a vital member of the Rams defense, which will have to replace the departure of club icon Aaron Donald, who announced his retirement earlier this offseason.
The Rams are overhauling their secondary, which is why they are bringing back a seasoned safety like Johnson. This offseason, Los Angeles has been active, recruiting veteran cornerbacks Tre’Davious White and Darious Williams (the latter of whom was a member of L.A.’s 2021 Super Bowl winning team) and acquiring safety Kamren Curl from the Washington Commanders.
