The Los Angeles Rams have been shuffling their roster a bit as of late, most notably releasing former starting cornerback Derion Kendrick last week. The move saved the Rams $3.4 million in cap space, but it did thin out their depth at a position that doesn’t exactly look like a strength.
On Tuesday, the Rams announced they re-signed Kendrick, bringing him back only four days after waiving him. It seemed like a puzzling move on the surface, but there was a reason for it: money.
Sean McVay explained the decision to cut and re-sign Kendrick during his press conference Tuesday, saying it was semantically a financial transaction.
“Really glad he was able to get back with us,” McVay said of Kendrick. “It was really just a financial business deal based on some things that he had earned the right for his salary to fall where it was and once he got cleared, he’s done a great job this offseason. I think his ability to improve, his ability to attack the rehab the right way, his flexibility to play inside and outside – Aubrey and I and Les sat down with him and told him, ‘Hey, here’s a couple of different options, here’s what we think, but let’s just make sure that you understand that we want you back if this is a place you feel you still want to be at.’ That was the end goal in mind and we weren’t really able to communicate all that to you guys, but the end goal was semantically, a business thing, then you get him back.”
Kendrick was set to make $3.4 million thanks to proven performance escalators that raised his salary for 2025, but the Rams clearly didn’t want to pay him that amount and it wasn’t guaranteed. So they released him, created cap space and signed him to a cheaper deal – though the terms are still unknown.
Kendrick missed the entire 2024 season due to a torn ACL suffered last summer, but he’s healthy once again and working his way back into the mix. The cornerback group is fairly wide open so he has a chance to earn a spot on the roster if he continues to ascend throughout camp and the preseason.
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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Sean McVay explains why the Rams re-signed Derion Kendrick just days after cutting him
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
