As defensive end and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett continues to rehab from knee surgery, the Rams have not made a decision yet on whether or not he will return to practice this week.
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Speaking in his usual Monday Zoom call with reporters, head coach Sean McVay said he had not spoken yet with vice president of sports medicine Reggie Scott to determine if Garrett or tight end Terrance Ferguson will open their 21-day practice windows after stints on injured reserve.
“I’m not sure yet,” McVay said. “Have not decided on those things.”
Garrett, acquired by the Rams (3-4) in June in a blockbuster trade that sent a first-round draft pick, Jared Verse and more draft capital to the Cleveland Browns, had knee surgery after an issue that limited him in training camp hampered his ability to be impactful in the season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He has sat out the six games since.
McVay kept open the possibility of Garrett returning to practice this week when asked about it last week. But Monday he said he would need to talk with Scott before determining if and to what extent he is able to participate in on-field work with the Rams.
Ferguson sprained his ankle in Week 3. This week is the first when he would be eligible to return from injured reserve.
KICKOFF COVERAGE FALLS SHORT AGAIN
While new kicker Brandon McManus had an uneventful first game with the Rams, making all five of his extra-point attempts in Sunday’s 35-21 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Rams’ special teams still proved vexing for McVay. Specifically, the kickoff coverage unit.
On the game’s opening kickoff, Dylan Laube returned the ball 36 yards to the Raiders’ 38-yard line. Laube took the Rams’ second kickoff 42 yards to midfield before McManus kicked four touchbacks to end the game.
Kickoff coverage has been an issue for the Rams all season. Through the first six weeks, McVay and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone both pointed to individual lapses in execution for why teams had gotten good returns. McVay said the explanation for what happened against the Raiders didn’t go any deeper than that.
“No, it was the same,” McVay said. “It was not good enough and we’ve talked about this a lot and it’s just got to get fixed. It’s not good enough and we cannot allow ourselves to do that. That was a great return unit that we were going against, [current Raiders and former Rams special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis] and those guys have done a really good job. But we have to be much better. You can’t give up the first two times that you cover that kind of field position.”
As for what can be done to fix that unit seven games into the season, that remains to be seen.
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“I gotta figure that out. It’s one of those deals that it’s driving me crazy,” McVay said. “So we gotta figure it out and we haven’t yet.”
PARKINSON BATTLING THROUGH
Twice on Sunday, tight end Colby Parkinson had to leave the field with a limp. Twice, he had to go into the blue injury tent. And twice, the 6-foot-7 Parkinson’s helmet got clipped by the frame of the tent as it was pulled over him.
“It’s tight. I hit my head a couple times on the door swinging over,” Parkinson said over Zoom on Monday. “I’m going to try to stay away from that blue tent if I can.”
Parkinson was able to escape its clutches twice on Sunday as well, returning to the game to lay some critical run blocks, catch five passes for 48 yards and help the Rams secure the win against the Raiders.
The eighth-year tight end has been playing through a litany of injuries this year. His knee and shoulder have both appeared on the injury report, but in the locker room after the game on Sunday he indicated the list of diagnoses ran deeper than that.
Still, he’s played in six of seven games this season. And he’s doing what he can to make sure he continues to be available.
“Definitely getting a lot more treatment. Takes a little bit longer to get ready for games, more tape and brace and all that stuff,” Parkinson said. “Sometimes it feels like when it rains it pours for some reason. But I said it after the game, this team is easy to play through hard stuff for because of how much love I have for the guys and I know that every single one of my teammates would do the same thing.”
Even if that is the case, Parkinson’s example still stands out, particularly with him playing in the final year of his contract.
“I can’t say enough good things about him. What a resilient, gutsy competitor,” McVay said. “He represents so many things that is right about our place, our group. He’s such a special human, such a tough human.”
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