Aaron Donald’s return forces Rams veteran safety to take pay cut

With Aaron Donald rejoining the Rams on an adjusted contract that will pay him $20 million instead of his adjusted $30 million he was set to make after coming out of retirement, the Rams needed to continue adjusting their finances.

On Wednesday, the Rams did just that by restructuring the contract of veteran safety Quentin Lake. As Over The Cap reported, Lake will make $3.42 million instead of $4.285 million.

The Rams shifted the remaining $857,000 in his contract into a signing bonus, which will now put them $2.8 million below the salary cap.

If the Rams want to lower the figure any more, they could also look to restructure quarterback Matthew Stafford’s deal. The NFL MVP signed a one-year, $55 million contract extension with the team over the offseason.

Lake, 27, has gone from a sixth-round long shot out of UCLA to a key part of the Rams’ defense. He is set to serve as a captain for the third consecutive season.

In January, the Rams rewarded Lake with a three-year, $42 million extension that included $25.7 million guaranteed.

With the Rams set to kick off their season against the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday at 10:35 a.m. (5:35 p.m. PT Thursday), Lake will begin the season making $1.2 million in base salary, including a $5.5 million roster bonus.

Lake’s Rams extension comes a year after he appeared in 10 games after missing the tail end of the season due to a dislocated elbow.

In 2024, he had a breakout season for Los Angeles, tallying 111 tackles including 73 solo.