Second-year defender believes loss to Eagles could be “blessing in disguise”
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Braden Fiske thought his team would eke out a 29-28 win over the Eagles in the playoffs. Instead, despite their best efforts, the Rams fell short of hosting the NFC Championship. However, that loss has only fueled Fiske’s confidence in his team ahead of the 2025 season.
In a March 17 interview with CasinoBeats writer D.J. Siddiqi, Fiske felt the heartbreaking playoff loss could be a “blessing in disguise” for Los Angeles:
“I think that drives a lot of guys on this team and a lot of people in this organization for where this team is and where we’re headed and the future and what we have. I think it might have been a blessing in disguise for what we’re building on coming up in the next couple seasons.”
The Rams harassed Sam Darnold and Jalen Hurts to the tune of 16 sacks during its two-game run, with Fiske accounting for 1.5 of them. Fiske was named the Senior Bowl’s Defensive Rookie of the Year after registering 8.5 sacks in 17 games during his rookie campaign.
Congratulations to former FSU & Western Michigan DT Braden Fiske on being named as our Defensive Rookie of the Year! Fiske made an immediate impact on a DL that had to replace Senior Bowl alum, Aaron Donald. Fiske played in all 17 games and finished the season with 8.5 sacks. pic.twitter.com/xroAiXe7hk
— Reese’s Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) March 6, 2025
Given the Rams’ young core along the defensive line—Kobie Turner at 25 years old being the oldest starter—an even deeper run is in the group’s sights. The much-needed addition of former Chargers DT Poona Ford to shore up the run defense could be a godsend for L.A. if the move pans out.
While every NFL team echoes the “Super Bowl or bust” mantra, Fiske likes how everything is coming together this offseason for the Rams’ “young nucleus”:
“If the Super Bowl is not the goal for your team, I think you have other issues coming on. But being that close in that game, being as competitive as we were at the end of the season, I think the big expectation is, how do you get better? Not individually, but as a team. Because like you said, we have a young nucleus, where can we build up from here? I like what we have surrounding us and we brought some guys in.”
Assuming the Rams can tighten up the run D and get off to a faster start, another title run under Sean McVay might be well within reach.
