WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Rams inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom had only started five NFL games prior to Sunday's season opener in Detroit.
After going undrafted in 2021, the Rams claimed Rozeboom off the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad. He's been cut by the team twice since then, but has always made his way back on the roster. The South Dakota State alum has slowly worked his way up the Rams' depth chart, and is now one of the team's starting linebackers.
The trade of former captain Ernest Jones IV opened the door for Rozeboom to be a consistent starter. On Sunday, he showed why head coach Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Chris Shula put that faith in him. Rozeboom was tied for second on the team in tackles (eight), despite playing 16 less snaps than the other two defenders who matched or exceeded that total.
"He flies around, he plays fast," said defensive coordinator Chris Shula. "That's kind of how he's always been when he's played here."
Rozeboom's speed and aggression were all over the game tape, as he allowed just two receiving yards as the closest defender, and zero yards after the catch. His three stops ranked fourth on the team, and he allowed a 56.3 passer rating when targeted. Jones' absence wasn't missed nearly as much thanks to Rozeboom's presence in the middle of the field.
Rozeboom said he doesn't listen to the outside noise and just focuses on the job at hand. That's how he's gone from a practice squad player for the Chiefs to a starter on the Rams in four years.
"It's been a journey," Rozeboom said. "At the end of the day, it doesn't matter where you came from or where you were drafted or what you get paid if you make plays."
The entire Rams' linebacker room went undrafted, and that common experience has helped them unite. Signal caller Troy Reeder said that he and Rozeboom are "best friends" off the field – they will go to dinner with their wives and talk football the entire time.
That close bond facilitates seamless communication on the gridiron.
"I think we play similar and have the same thought process in how we play the game and see the game," Reeder said of Rozeboom. "So it's nice to be able to play off of each other a lot and there's some times when we just figure stuff out on the fly.
"It's really awesome to have someone out there with you that knows what they're doing and is a student of the game and plays really darn hard."
Reeder is more of a bruiser, so Rozeboom's speed adds a dynamic element to the middle of the Rams' defense. He showcased that last weekend as the team's most efficient tackler, averaging a tackle every 5.6 plays against a physical Detroit team. This week, the linebacker group will face a different kind of challenge against the Cardinals.
As Bill Barnwell illustrated in a recent ESPN article, quarterback rushes and scrambles are among the most productive plays in the NFL. In a division with one of the fastest quarterbacks in football, Kyler Murray, the Rams defense will need to rely on Rozeboom's quickness to keep the speedster in check.
"When linebackers can play sideline-to-sideline, I think that's a good thing against a guy like Kyler Murray, because he'll run around and I don't know if anybody can chase Kyler down, but at least he can kind of close some space," Shula said.
After a highly productive season opener, Rozeboom will likely play a big role in the Week 2 matchup in Arizona.
