Former Rams Super Bowl player wins starting gig: Should L.A. have signed him?

Austin Corbett, who helped the Rams win the Super Bowl, has been named the Carolina Panthers' starting center for the 2025 season by head coach Dave Canales. This comes after a tumultuous period since leaving the Rams in 2022 free agency, marked by injuries that caused him to miss most of the last two seasons and required him to compete for the job this year.

Corbett was originally drafted 33rd overall by the Browns but was traded cheaply to the Rams after just one year. In Los Angeles, he quickly became a starter, playing left guard initially before moving to right guard in 2020. He started 40 games over three seasons, culminating in the Super Bowl LVI victory as the starting right guard in 2021.

Despite his contributions, Corbett departed in 2022 free agency, signing a three-year, $26.25 million contract with the Panthers. His departure coincided with significant offensive line struggles for the Rams in 2022, particularly at right guard where multiple players struggled to fill the void. Corbett, meanwhile, started all 17 games for Carolina at right guard that season.

Corbett's time in Carolina has since been plagued by injuries. He started 2023 on the PUP list and later landed on IR with a knee injury. Moved to center in 2024 after the Panthers signed new guards, a torn biceps limited him to only five games. Since 2023, he has played in just 9 games total. Despite this, the Panthers re-signed him in 2025 and he had to compete with Cade Mays for the starting center role, a competition he has now won after training camp.

Meanwhile, the Rams addressed their center position differently, bringing back Coleman Shelton in the offseason. Shelton had previously started for the Rams in 2022 and 2023. Interestingly, the Rams acquired Shelton after he started for the Bears in 2024, effectively swapping him for Jonah Jackson, whom they traded to Chicago. The article notes that while Corbett might have been a reunion candidate for the Rams if Carolina didn't retain him, his ability to stay healthy and the performance of both Corbett and Shelton remain key factors.