3 possible destinations for self-described NFL 6th man, Donte Deayon

LA Rams players faced and overcame more than their fair share of adversity in 2021. Ultimately, it was all deemed to be worth it, as it led to the team’s Super Bowl LVI victory. But sometimes the height of celebration comes without a parachute. Immediately after the highest of highs in one’s NFL career? Some players face the lowest of lows.

The road to glory in the NFL is a hard road to travel. While we are bombarded with the camaraderie of the locker room and esprit de corps of training camp, the reality for NFL players is that it’s not all fun and games. It’s a lot of work. And it gets lonely too.

The type of dedication to the sport demands devotion and dedication, coupled with the constant and demanding physical training to not only be the best version of yourself but to best the past version of yourself. Not just for your team. Not even for your coaches. Sometimes, the only person who knows the work and effort put in is yourself.

And it still gets lonely.

Donte Deayon is one such player. He was good enough to help out the LA Rams secondary for the past three seasons. He played sparingly for the team in 2019. He was an on/off practice squad player in 2020 but did get activated to play in one playoff game. He made the 53-man roster, appearing in 10 games, and starting in one. He even carried over to the playoffs, where he appeared in two games.

Star of the secondary? Not quite. But he was dependable, allowing just 60 percent of passes targeting his receiver to find their mark. In 461 defensive snaps, he recorded 29 tackles and broke up two passes. But he was not quite up to the big, physical defensive back who defensive coordinator Raheem Morris tends to favor now.

And so he waits for the phone to ring and trains.  Well, which teams make sense for him to play for? We can think of three: