Los Angeles Rams reward Ethan Westbrooks with extension

The Los Angeles Rams extended the contract of Ethan Westbrooks for one year to keep him with the team through the 2018 season.

On the defensive side of the football, the Los Angeles Rams couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2017 season when looking at the performance during their 46-9 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. And while there were numerous players who contributed to the defense putting on a dominant performance, the one individual worth mentioning is Ethan Westbrooks.

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The Rams defensive end already had plenty of reasons to be feeling good on this Monday thanks to an impressive game against the Colts in which he finished with three total sacks along with a sack, but Westbrooks received some other good news to top the weekend off. According to Rams Insider Myles Simmons, Los Angeles has extended Westbrooks’ contract an extra year to keep him around through the 2018 season, which is amazing to hear for both parties.

Since joining the Rams in 2014 as an undrafted free agent, Westbrooks has only made three career starts (including Sunday) on the defensive side of the football, but the decision to extend his contract an extra year wouldn’t have been done if the team didn’t have big plans for the former West Texas A&M standout. In fact, if the defensive end’s performance against Indianapolis is any indication of what’s in store, Westbrooks could be heading towards a career year during his first season working with Wade Phillips.

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Keep in mind that Phillips has always been the kind of defensive coordinator who gets the best out of players, and the Rams have every reason in the world to be excited about his new deal. After starting off the year on a hot note, let’s hope Westbrooks continues his stellar play heading into Week 2 against the Washington Redskins.