Former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Monty Rice is a free agent again after the Los Angeles Rams released him in a wave of cuts to the 53-man roster.
The Rams signed the 27-year-old inside linebacker on Aug. 13, just before the preseason opener. He played in all three exhibition games and finished with seven tackles. It was not enough.
Los Angeles trimmed the roster over the weekend, and Rice — a vested veteran — was among the first names off the board, along with fellow linebacker Tomon Fox. Because of his service time, he is not subject to waivers and can sign anywhere immediately. A practice-squad return to L.A. is still possible once the dust settles.
For Bulldog fans, the news lands as another chapter in a familiar NFL grind. Rice was a three-year starter in Athens from 2017 to 2020, before Georgia’s national-title run.
He led the team with 89 tackles in 2019, earned first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America honors in 2020, and served as a captain.
Over 47 games he piled up 219 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, and a memorable scoop-and-score against Tennessee. That production made him a third-round pick (92nd overall) by the Tennessee Titans in 2021.
The early NFL years showed flashes. Rice started 11 games and recorded 131 career tackles, most of them in Tennessee. Injuries, scheme changes, and a crowded linebacker market followed.
The Titans waived him in December 2023. New Orleans claimed him the next day, then cut him the following August.
Stints on the Falcons and Patriots practice squads, a brief promotion in New England, one game and two tackles with Detroit in 2025, and a short UFL stop with the Louisville Kings all came and went. The Rams were the latest landing spot.
Rice’s path is common for productive SEC linebackers who do not become every-down NFL starters. Georgia has sent a steady stream of those players into the league. Some stick. Others bounce from camp to camp, special teams to the waiver wire, waiting for the next injury or the next phone call.
At 6-foot, 233 pounds, Rice still offers run-fit instincts and special-teams experience. That profile keeps him employed, even if the 53-man roster remains elusive.
The next move is his. Other teams finishing cuts this weekend will look for veteran depth. Practice-squad jobs open early next week.
For a Dawg who once anchored Kirby Smart’s defense, the work is not finished. It just moved back to the open market.
