WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Going into the offseason, there were some questions about whether veteran offensive lineman Rob Havenstein would return for his age-33 season in 2025. But, Havenstein said on Monday that he never seriously considered retirement.
"(Retirement is) always something to think about, but no, not this year," Havenstein said. "I knew I wanted to play this year for sure... I still have a lot of passion for it. I still think I can play."
Havenstein dealt with injuries throughout the 2024 season, but still started 11 regular season games and two playoff bouts. Despite having cleanout procedures on both shoulders this offseason, Havenstein is preparing to play out the final year of his contract in Los Angeles. In Year 11, he still feels the need to prove himself as a player and leader in the Rams' locker room.
"There was some junk in there that didn't need to be in there, so they went in and grabbed the old butter knife and took it out," Havenstein said. "And nothing got fixed or repaired, so it's nothing like anything crazy like that, just had some wear and tear and (they) shaved it all down, gave me a couple new shoulders, feel pretty good."
Havenstein said he plans to take it easy during OTAs as he builds strength back in his shoulders, but wants to be ready to go come training camp. He will have familiar faces back on the offensive line, including center Coleman Shelton, who returned to Los Angeles during the offseason after spending a year in Chicago. Shelton spent 2019-2023 with the Rams.
Havenstein described Shelton's presence on the field as "confident and commanding," which stems from his consummate professionalism and dedication.
"I'm very excited," Havenstein said. "Coleman's one of my good buddies. I know him and his family very well, we had a lot of great times together, and even on top of that, just the way Coleman goes about his business, he's a true professional about the way he studies, the way he practices, the way he pretty much does everything from a football aspect."
However, Shelton's return also puts some weight on Havenstein's shoulders as a leader. Last season, 2024 sixth-round pick Beaux Limmer emerged as the starter mid-season and had "a really good season," Havenstein said. Yet, the team brought Shelton back with the expectation he will be the starter, according to general manager Les Snead.
Havenstein said he spoke with Limmer after the signing about "the nature of this business," and wants the contents of that conversation to stay between them. The draft, which begins on Thursday, is yet another opportunity for teams to add talent and competition at certain spots, and that's the reality of the NFL for everyone, not just Limmer.
"A lot of people who aren't excited for (the draft) are the guys already on teams," Havenstein said. "... There's people coming in to take your job, which is the way it should be. You have to prove yourself year in and year out, whether guys are slated to start or not."
Even with the extenuating circumstances of his surgery, Havenstein said he tries not to change his offseason routine too much. He's heard the same speech at the start of OTAs for the past 11 years, but said it still fires him up to do what he considers "one of the best jobs in the world."
"We're playing a kid's game professionally, you know, it's unreal," Havenstein said. "So, whether it looks a little different on the field, off the field, whether you take some reps off due to the advanced age of some of the players, I still love being out there and working on your craft and working to get that one percent better."
