Rams safety Eric Weddle in action during a game against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

free safety Eric Weddle #32 of the Los Angeles Rams takes the field prior to a NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, November 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

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Los Angeles Rams free safety Eric Weddle (32) tackles Pittsburgh Steelers running back Tony Brooks-James (40) during the second half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hauls in pass despite the defense of Eric Weddle #32, left, and John Johnson #43, both of the Los Angeles Rams, during the second half of the Rams’ 55-40 loss to Tampa Bay at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Saints Tre’Quan Smith, #10, is brought down by Rams Eric Weddle, #32, during third quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Sunday, September 15, 2019. The Los Angeles Rams defeated the New Orleans Saints 27-9. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)



Rams Eric Weddle, #32, and Saints Marcus Williams, #43, swap jerseys after the Rams defeated the Saints 27-9 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Sunday, September 15, 2019. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Safety #32 Eric Weddle of the Los Angeles Rams during training camp day 7 with the Los Angeles Chargers at UC Irvine, in Irvine Ca., onAugust 2nd, 2019. (Courtesy of the Rams)

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, right, talks with safety Eric Weddle during training camp Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Napa, Calif. The Oakland Raiders and Rams held a joint practice before their upcoming preseason game on Saturday. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Former Chargers and Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle, released by the Ravens earlier this month, signed a two-year contract with the Rams on Friday, March 8, 2019. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers greets former teammate Baltimore Ravens free safety Eric Weddle after the Chargers loss at the StubHub Center in Carson on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)



Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle played for the Chargers from 2007 to 2015. (File photo)

Baltimore Ravens safety Eric Weddle, left, faces Chargers, the team he played nine seasons for, Saturday night at StubHub Center. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

For someone who played only one season with the Rams, Eric Weddle made a loud impact.

Immediately voted one of the team’s six captains, the safety from Rancho Cucamonga was a veteran voice in the locker room, a coach on the field for an ever-changing defensive backfield, and a mentor to the young player who now is likely to take his job.

Weddle, 35, passed the torch Thursday, announcing his retirement after a 13-year career with the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Rams that included six Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors.

The announcement, which Weddle hinted at late in the season, was posted shortly after noon on Weddle’s twitter account, @weddlesbeard.

“TEAMMATES, COACHES and others I LOVE y’all. We had a GREAT RUN!!!!!” Weddle wrote above a list of career accomplishments.

The practical effect on the Rams is twofold:

• It’s now all but certain that their safeties for 2020 will be Taylor Rapp, whom Weddle helped to groom in his rookie season, and John Johnson, who will return from the shoulder injury that cost him the last 10 games.

Nick Scott and Jake Gervase are the other safeties under contract for 2020. Marqui Christian is an unrestricted free agent, and Dont’e Deayon is a restricted free agent.

• Weddle retiring with a year to go on a two-year contract saves the Rams what would have been the 10th-highest 2020 salary among the players on their season-ending 2019 roster.

He would have cost $4,750,525 against the NFL payroll cap. That’s some relief for the front office, which faces a cap squeeze as it looks to hold onto and acquire free agents. The Rams are trying to bounce back from missing the playoffs, with a 9-7 record, a year after going to the Super Bowl.

Speculation about what sort of dramatic moves general manager Les Snead might have in mind grew Thursday after Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that the Rams plan to meet with Todd Gurley to discuss his future with the team. Rapoport reported that “all options are on the table,” suggesting the possibility of trading or cutting the running back. Gurley’s 1,064 rushing and receiving yards (857 rushing, 207 receiving) in 2019 were down 49% from his league-leading total in 2017.

The chance to help a team to the Super Bowl for the first time in his career was one reason Weddle signed with the Rams as a free agent last March after being released by the Ravens.

Another lure was the chance to perform near San Diego, where he has lived with his wife and four children since his nine seasons with the Chargers, and near Rancho Cucamonga, where he played three sports at Alta Loma High before becoming All-America at Utah.

By season’s end, Weddle was second to linebacker Cory Littleton on the Rams with 108 tackles, but the aggressive pass defender who’d led the NFL with seven interceptions with San Diego in 2011 had no pickoffs, and no role in fumbles or sacks either. His contributions were more intangible during a season when injuries and trades — Jalen Ramsey arriving, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib departing — shook up the secondary.

After the season-ending victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 29, Weddle indicated he would have an announcement soon about his future. He said it was “a foregone conclusion” he’d be the odd man out next to Johnson and Rapp and “I’m not going to come back to be a backup.”

The inevitable news of Weddle’s retirement drew immediate reaction from L.A. and around the league.

On their official Twitter account, the Chargers sent “Congratulations on a tremendous career, Eric!” and praised him as “A fierce competitor. Cerebral. Explosive. Disruptive. And above everything, all heart.”

The acrimonious parting between Weddle and the Chargers in 2016 appeared to be forgotten.

Few have done it better, and even fewer with more style. Congrats, @weddlesbeard! pic.twitter.com/IorOuN0RJJ — Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) February 6, 2020

Rams linebacker Troy Reeder, a rookie in 2019, referred to Weddle’s role in helping young players, saying there was “no better example of how to be a pro.”

Gonna miss you E Dub! No better example of how to be a pro! #HoF https://t.co/axVCDq6bIE — Troy Reeder (@troyreeder9) February 6, 2020

Rams quarterback tweeted one word: “LEGEND.”