LOS ANGELES — The wound is fresh, but the bitterness is surprisingly selective. Just days after the Seattle Seahawks hoisted their second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history at Super Bowl LX, Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake dropped a quote that might curdle the blood of the Rams faithful. Despite watching Seattle end L.A.’s season in the NFC Championship Game, Lake admitted he simply cannot muster the same vitriol for the Seahawks that he reserves for the San Francisco 49ers.
Blood, Sweat, and Old Friends
Rivalries usually run hottest against the team that just knocked you out, but for Lake, personal ties outweigh the scoreboard. The fourth-year safety, drafted by the Rams in the sixth round back in 2022, pointed to former teammates-turned-rivals as the reason for his softened stance. The defection of franchise cornerstone Cooper Kupp to Seattle in March 2025 and the presence of linebacker Ernest Jones on the Seahawks’ roster changed the dynamic entirely.
“Surprisingly, I don’t hate them [the Seahawks] as much as the Niners,” Lake told the Up & Adams Show. “I have more respect for them just because they play hard, and I know some guys over there.”
The numbers paint a brutal picture of just how close the Rams were. After splitting the 2025 regular-season series—Los Angeles took Week 11, Seattle stole Week 16—the two collided with a trip to Super Bowl 60 on the line. Seattle got the last laugh, leaving Lake and a veteran-laden Rams squad to watch from the couch as their division rivals celebrated on Valentine’s Day.
“Those are guys that I’ve been close with and guys that I’ve shed blood, sweat, and tears with on the field… I obviously went against Cooper Kupp multiple times in practice. There was no bad blood at all. I mean, I don’t have that same feeling. [I’m] just more disappointed it wasn’t us.”
— Quentin Lake, Rams Safety
Looking Ahead: The “Down Under” Grudge Match
Lake’s comments add a fascinating layer of subtext to the Rams’ 2026 campaign. While he respects Seattle, his disdain for San Francisco remains intact—a feeling likely mutual after the teams split their 2025 meetings, with the road team winning each time (Rams in Week 5, 49ers in Week 10).
Lake won’t have to wait long to channel that aggression. The Rams are set to face the 49ers in a historic 2026 regular-season opener in Melbourne, Australia. It will be the NFL’s first-ever game on the continent, turning the Melbourne Cricket Ground into a pressure cooker for the NFC West’s bitterest feud.
Lake emphasized that the goal for the aging core—including quarterback Matthew Stafford and wideout Davante Adams—is simple: “Finish what we couldn’t do this past year.”
For Sean McVay’s squad, the road to Super Bowl LXI doesn’t start in Inglewood. It starts halfway across the world, against the team Quentin Lake actually hates.
