Los Angeles Rams pick up Marcus Peters’ 5th year option

The L.A. Rams didn’t trade for Marcus Peters in order to just watch him walk away after one season, so they exercised his fifth year option on Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Rams aren’t interested in being cautious in their commitment to Marcus Peters. On Tuesday, per NFL analyst Ian Rapoport, the team decided to exercise the contract option for a fifth year on Peters that will guarantee him staying in L.A. through the 2019 season.

The Rams traded two draft choices, a fourth round pick in this weekend’s draft as well as a 2019 2nd round choice, to the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason in exchange for Peters. The mercurial cornerback is undoubtedly one of the NFL’s best defensive talents, a player whose early career trajectory seems destined for Canton due to his incredible penchant for making game-changing takeaways. Since his rookie season in 2015, Peters has 19 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles, leading the NFL with 24 forced turnovers in just three seasons.

It might seem obvious that Peters would have his option picked up, and when push comes to shove, it is, but it’s also notable that no other team in the NFL was serious about trading for Peters when made available. He’s proven to be a bit difficult for a coaching staff to handle with a very emotional personality on the field. The Chiefs were clearly not going to make an effort to keep Peters for a second contract, so they dealt him this offseason to gain some value in the process.

What will be interesting to see is how Peters fares on the West Coast. Will he be on his best behavior? How will be when he settles in? Will the Rams be quick to offer him an extension as well? Lots of questions remain but will only be answered as time goes on.