When Eric Weddle retired after the 2019 season, he never thought he’d be playing in another NFL game—let alone an NFL playoff game. Well, that’s exactly what he’ll be doing this weekend.

Weddle agreed Wednesday to make a comeback with the Rams (12-5) for their upcoming playoff game against the Cardinals (11-6).

The move comes two days after the Rams lost one—possibly both—of their starting safeties, with Jordan Fuller suffering an ankle injury and Taylor Rapp entering concussion protocol.

Weddle, 37, last played on December 29, 2019. He retired with a year left on his contract.

“He must be living a lot healthier lifestyle than I would if I retired after a career like that,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “He was a fantastic player a couple years ago. All-Pro, Pro Bowl, one of the smartest defensive players that anybody ever speaks about.

“If anybody can do it, there’s no doubt he can.”

In nine seasons with the Chargers and three with the Baltimore Ravens, Weddle was named first-team All-Pro twice, a Pro Bowler six times, and led the NFL in interceptions in 2011 (7).

The Cardinals’ offense recorded its second- and third-highest yardage of the 2021 season against the Rams: 465 yards in Arizona’s 37-20 victory in Week 4 and 447 in L.A.’s 30-23 victory in Week 14.

Antonio Brown is at it again, and this time he is provoking a Twitter feud with Los Angeles Rams safety Eric Weddle.

Troubled NFL free agent Brown has seen much controversy over the past few months, and has been going on a social media rampage to call out everyone from his old teammate Ben Roethlisberger to a woman who accused Brown of sexual misconduct. Now, the recently released New England Patriots wide receiver is going after a decorated NFL opponent.

Weddle, a six-time Pro Bowler who was also the league’s interception leader in 2011, got a very random tweet from Brown that featured a confusing message.

“The game need me I’m like test answers,” Brown posted, apparently quoting lyrics by rapper Lil’ Wayne.

Weddle simply responded: “Def don’t,” and seemed probably just as surprised as we were to be his next target. New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate chimed in on his Twitter page by writing what we all have been thinking, “What???”

Brown kept pushing, so Weddle continued by jabbing back, “When are you going to learn that it isn’t about you.”

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Brown shared a couple of pictures of him stiff-arming Weddle during a game. The former Pittsburgh Steelers star didn’t stop there, however: he began chastising Weddle for calling him “AB,” saying that’s his “NFL name.”

The back-and-forth tweets kept getting stranger and longer, as neither one was willing to let it go. Brown stated that “AB is not a person, it is a brand,” to which Weddle responded that Brown “was not making any sense.” Weddle ended his half by apparently poking fun at Brown’s comment that he was going to enroll at Central Michigan University.

Brown is also seeking $10 million that he believes is owed to him after New England cut him within 15 days. The teem seemingly took advantage of language in Brown’s contract to nullify their deal with the player.

After being placed on injured reserve and handed a $10,000 fine, safety Eric Weddle is almost definitely leaving the Chargers this offseason.

During Week 15’s game against the Miami Dolphins, Weddle remained on the sideline to watch his daughter dance on the field at halftime without informing the team. That decision cost him $10,000. He was also placed on injured reserve, ending his season, and told he couldn’t travel with the team to their final game in Denver because there was no room on the plane.

That saga will almost guarantee that Weddle will hit the open market; the three-time Pro Bowler will be a free agent at the end of this season.

Chargers head coach Mike McCoy confirmed that the safety was disciplined for violating team rules.

“We have a policy here, and a situation took place two weeks ago at our stadium. So yes, we did fine him,” he said. “It’s an organizational call.  We have a club policy here, and there are certain things we have to do as a football team at halftime to make adjustments, and things like that. That’s why we did that.”

Veteran tight end Antonio Gates also keyed on Weddle’s lack of communication. “I’m not really surprised (that he was fined),” the tight end said.

“To me, the communication wasn’t there, and I think that was more important than anything.  Obviously anything you do, whoever has played in this league understands there is no one person above the team. With all that being said, that was his daughter. That’s just not my call. That is something the coaches and he should have had a conversation about, and that should have been made from that point on. From my understanding, there was no conversation about it.  It’s very hard to make any assumptions about that because it was not obviously in the best (interest) of the team, and you are talking about a first class guy who due to that circumstance was put into a dilemma to make a decision at the last second.”

Weddle’s agent, David Cantor, made his feelings known on Twitter.

Photo: Chargers safety Eric Weddle by Jeffery Bealle, via Wikimedia Commons