WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Rams announced that captain Quentin Lake was placed on injured reserve, following elbow surgery. Lake, one of the team's fundamental leaders and, quite frankly, one of the most articulate people in the NFL, continues to lead on the sidelines. This week, the team's coaches spoke about what not having Lake on the field means to their defensive unit.
During a press conference after a Rams training camp practice, I asked Shula what Lake meant to his defense. He stated Lake was the linchpin of his unit, citing both his abilities on the field and his impact off of it as a defining piece for what he want to accomplish.
Shula spoke on that again on Thursday.
“There are not many guys in the league that are capable of doing all the stuff that he does," stated Shula. "It’s him just set the edge in the run game, manning a slot receiver, playing a half field safety, not a lot of guys can do that. It’s going to take multiple hats to fill that role."
Chris Shula
November 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
"I think the biggest thing is like you said, the leadership, the communication and how calm he is out there. I think the underrated part of his game is how physical and hard he plays. I think that the defense has taken on his mentality where it's running to the ball and everybody's finishing on the ball. We just have to keep that going. I know ‘Q's’ going to be here every day helping that out.”
Rams head coach Sean McVay praised Lake for what he does as a person and the way Lake's high character impacts the Rams locker room.
“I'll tell you and you guys have talked to him, he's about as impressive of a human with his mental toughness and his ability to acknowledge that he's disappointed. ‘Q' is one of those guys that when you sit there and you talk to him, you're like, ‘Man, I wish I was like that.’ His mindset is, ‘I'm just grateful it's not anything in my lower half and I can still walk around,’ and because it's his left elbow and he can throw the ball around. It's unbelievable, but that's who he is. Even when I spoke with him after the game, he was going to get the MRI scans and they had a premonition of what it could be."
Quentin Lake
Oct 19, 2025; London, United Kingdom; Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) sacks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during the second half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
"You know for him to come out, it was probably something that's going to be significant. We had a feeling and then things were confirmed after I spoke with you guys on Monday. His mindset and mentality is incredible. I think part of the mental toughness is acknowledging, ‘Yeah, I'm disappointed. It's a bummer."
Sean McVay
Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay on the sidelines during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
"Alright, so I don't want to stay in this space. How do I move forward? How do I surround myself with people that uplift me? How do I make sure I'm not in this alone?’ I think there is something to be said for those temporary milestones as you start to gain progress and get closer towards a return. He's a special guy. Sometimes when I think about complaining about stuff, he's a good reminder of how to handle things.”
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