The Rams lost their longtime left tackle Andrew Whitworth to retirement this offseason, but they re-signed Joe Noteboom with plans to hand him the left tackle job. Noteboom took that contract as a vote of confidence.
“The best part is knowing the coaches have the confidence in you to sign you back to a contract here and put you in that spot,” Noteboom said, via ESPN. “But it’s also a challenge. Being the guy now comes with a little more responsibility. It’s motivating more than ever.”
Noteboom’s contract is a three-year, $40 million deal with $25 million guaranteed. That’s a lot of money for a player who was a backup last season, but Noteboom says the four years he has spent with the Rams gave him plenty of opportunities to learn from Whitworth and understand what it takes to do the job.
“It was a perfect situation [to learn],” Noteboom said. “There was no other guy in the league I’d rather have been behind for those four years. That gives me confidence going into it.”
Noteboom has big shoes to fill, but he believes he’s up to the task. And the Rams agree.