Rob Havenstein has missed the last three games with a knee injury, which he suffered in Week 10 against the Steelers. Initially, it looked like a big blow to the offensive line, given Havenstein’s pedigree and how well he played last season.
He struggled to replicate his success of 2018 before going down with the injury, though, and regressed to just average levels. Rookie Bobby Evans has stepped in for Havenstein and played relatively well, keeping opposing pass rushers at bay for the last three games.
Havenstein is nearing a return and could be back as soon as this weekend, but he may not get the starting job back. After saying Thursday that Havenstein is still “day-to-day,” Sean McVay was asked if there will be any hesitation to put him back into the starting lineup when he does return.
His answer was telling, based on the lack of conviction in his response.
“Bobby’s done a really nice job and Rob’s put a lot of really good film on display for the last couple years, so when he’s ready to go, we’ll evaluate that deal,” McVay said. “But he’s done a great job mentoring Bobby in the meantime and I think that says a lot about just the type of guy he is and we know what a productive player he’s been for us.”
It sure doesn’t sound like the Rams are set on plugging Havenstein back in at right tackle, despite the fact that he’s one of the highest-paid players at his position in the NFL and played at a Pro Bowl level last year.
It’s understandable that the Rams won’t commit to Havenstein returning as the starter, given the way A) he played before the injury and B) how well Evans has stepped up. Evans has gotten a lot of help on the right side with tight ends and guard help – more so than Havenstein did – but he’s also held his own in one-on-one situations.