WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — Headlines surrounding the Rams defense have been almost entirely focused on what's new. Heading into Week 1 of the 2026 season, what's arguably as important as the new additions has been the retention of proven leaders and contributors — in this case, the safety room in its entirety.
For the third year in a row, the Rams have the same "core four" players of their safety room: Quentin Lake, Kamren Kinchens, Kam Curl and Jaylen McCollough.
"It's the core four guys," defensive coordinator Chris Shula said Sept. 7. "Those guys have played a ton of football for us. We've had ups and downs together. You talk about four guys that just have the right mentality, that some of them have different skill sets than others, whether it's playing the middle of the field or moving around, but guys that all love football, love to compete, great tacklers, and play extremely hard. We've been fortunate to have them going on our third year. I know I have."
Both Lake and Curl re-signed to three-year deals earlier in 2026 to keep the Rams' safety room completely intact. That move alone was incredibly valuable for head coach Sean McVay and the rest of the organization.
"(Lake has) been tremendously valuable as is Kam Curl, and we know what those guys are about, and that was important to get them back," McVay said Sept. 6.
Lake is now entering his third-consecutive season as a captain for the Rams, and also his fifth season with the organization in total. Although Lake suffered an elbow injury that limited him to playing just 10 regular season games last year, his leadership and ability to be a "coach on the field" has driven the safety room for years. Even in the shortened season, Lake had career highs in passes defended (10) and tackles for loss (2) as well as his first career interception in Week 6 against the Ravens.
"Being able to have familiar faces around you all the time, going into three years now with all these guys, has been great," Lake said. "I can see their progression and how good they're getting, and they help me a lot, whether it's getting aligned, communication, making plays, all that stuff. ... The biggest thing for me is they just let me be myself, and they accept me and see me as that. They see me as Quentin Lake. They don't see me as anybody above or below that. They just see me for who I am, and I love that. And it's great because they're guys that have their own leadership qualities within themselves, too."
Kinchens, the resident young guy in the room at just 23-years-old and entering his third season in the NFL, was a beneficiary of the snaps that opened up due to Lake's injury as he started eight games last season for the Rams. He's also racked up six interceptions in his first two seasons, leading the NFL in interception return yards in his rookie year, and is entering the new season with "all the confidence in the world" knowing he'll be playing with the same group of three other safeties.
"It just makes it easier because, not saying it's hard to learn new people, but just to know your guys, just know how they react to certain stuff, and know how to build them up, you just know what makes them go," Kinchens said.
Curl, the resident "unc" of the room at 27-years-old, is coming off of his best season yet from a tackle perspective, securing 122 total tackles over the course of starting all 17 regular season games. His on-field leadership has also grown in the offseason as he places a high value on a better understanding the "nonverbal cues" of his teammates to build stronger on-field chemistry.
"It's our third year together with the safety group, so we know how each other play," Curl said Aug. 1. "We know our nonverbal cues. So it's great to be able to stay with the same group for that long to learn each other like that, and that's just gonna make us play faster on Sunday(s)."
Finally is McCollough, who didn't miss a single regular season game in his first two seasons in the NFL with the Rams. McCollough also saw increased action in the wake of injury, making six starts last season which was up from one start a season prior. He didn't record an interception a season ago after hauling in four picks his rookie year and a pick-six in Week 5, but his total tackles jumped from 43 to 51 year to year and he added his first two NFL sacks last season. The growth from Year 1 to Year 2 and now into Year 3 together has really helped McCollough and the three other safeties build trust.
"There's a lot of camaraderie," McCollough said. "There's a lot of trust in that group and in that room, and we're always talking, trying to make sure we're on the same page, seeing stuff the same way. But more than just football, man, we're all brothers. We grew close. We're always together, always cracking jokes. So the the dynamic is really good, and I feel like it helps us go and play to the best of our abilities."
Each of the four Rams safeties have had unique paths that led to their own individual abilities and skillsets. But what makes the group special is their collective of unique experiences that lead to earned trust and a strong line of communication with each other that translates to the rest of the defense.
"They're such a vital part of our communication," McVay said. "When you look at it, that spot when you go up the defense, it's vital to be able to communicate to your corners, to your second level, and all those guys have great acumens. They really understand the game holistically, and all of them have position flexibility."
The collective communication abilities from the safeties to the rest of the defense is what could make the Rams defense take even another step up this season. And the flexibility and versatility within their own individual roles is what also makes the group special.
"We laugh, have a great time, even off the field too. It's been great having those guys around me and just seeing them thrive in not only in this organization, but in life in general," Lake said.
