Sean McVay announced on Monday that return specialist JoJo Natson would be out 4-6 weeks after injuring his hamstring in Week 13. It turns out he won’t be back this season as the Rams placed him on injured reserve Tuesday.
In a corresponding move, they promoted tight end Kendall Blanton from the practice squad, taking Natson’s place on the 53-man roster.
#LARams transactions:
• placed PR/KR JoJo Natson on IR
• signed TE Kendall Blanton from practice squad to 53-man roster— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 3, 2019
Blanton was signed by the Rams as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri this year. He’s a bigger tight end at 6-feet-6, 262 pounds, running a 4.95-second 40-yard dash at the combine. In his final season at Missouri, he caught 22 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games, missing three games with a knee injury.
It’s unclear if his promotion is related to Gerald Everett’s status. Everett missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury and is considered day-to-day, according to McVay.
The Rams now have four tight ends on the active roster.