The Rams’ luck went from bad to worse on Monday, with a slew of injuries from Sunday’s game putting the team in a precarious position after its 2-4 start to the season.
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Defensive tackle Poona Ford ruptured his triceps and kicker Blake Grupe tore his ACL, requiring both to be placed on season-ending injured reserve, head coach Sean McVay said. Additionally, wide receiver Davante Adams ruptured the semitendinosus tendon in his hamstring and defensive tackle Kobie Turner suffered a groin strain, with both expected to be placed on injured reserve.
Adams, a three-time first-team All-Pro who a year ago led the NFL in touchdown receptions, will likely miss between 6-10 weeks, McVay said. He came up limping on a non-contact play late in the fourth quarter of their loss to the Arizona Cardinals, reaching for his left thigh, before exiting to the sidelines.
“There’s a lot of emotions, but the first thing is support these guys, be there for him and then the next thing is we figure out what’s the best way for our team to move forward in the absence of some critical factors for us,” McVay said. “We’ve taken some shots this year and we’ve got to be able to get up and keep swinging. This is a good test.”
McVay said he had not yet had a chance to meet with his coaching staff and the front office to discuss possible additions at wide receiver in Adams’ absence. Rams general manager Les Snead, assistant GM John McKay and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone were in the process of identifying a new kicker as McVay spoke with the media on Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Rams defensive end Myles Garrett (knee) won’t return to practice this week, meaning Sunday’s game at the Las Vegas Raiders will be the sixth the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year will have missed. And All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie (groin) will ramp up his practice this week with the hope of playing against the Raiders after a one-game absence.
It’s a long series of blows for the Rams, who entered the season with Super Bowl expectations after the addition of McDuffie, Garrett and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, who came out of retirement.
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Now the Rams are 2-4 and about to play three of their next four games on the road before a Week 11 bye. And they will be without several key leaders – Turner and Adams are both team captains – as they attempt to turn their season around.
“You just gotta keep fighting. You gotta keep going to work and keep fighting,” McVay said. “Life goes on, this season goes on. I love those guys, I feel terrible for them. That’s the worst part about this but these are adverse moments and we gotta be able to push through and do hard things, and that’s exactly what this situation entails.”
WILLIAMS’ COMMENTS
A day after running back Kyren Williams said, “Probably because I’m not out there,” when asked about the team’s inconsistent energy levels on offense, McVay said Williams approached him to discuss what he had said.
“He brought it up to me, I wasn’t aware of it. He’s such an energy for us, he never meant it to be, he was emotional after the game but I know this guy’s heart,” McVay said. “He just wants to make sure that he’s impacting and influencing positive change and I think probably what he said was more of like, ‘I just always want to try to be that spark,’ and he was frustrated after the game but his teammates know what he’s about. When he explained it to me I totally understood where he was coming from and he’s a great leader for us and I think the way that it probably was interpreted was not what his intentions were.”
Tight end and captain Tyler Higbee similarly expressed his support for Williams.
“Kyren is one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Higbee said. “I love the passion that he has for this game, the energy, everything that he brings. It’s special, this team needs it. … He’s going to help right this ship just like the rest of us.”
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