Sean McVay already said earlier this week that the Rams will be smart about managing players’ injuries against the Cardinals in Week 17. With nothing left to play for, Los Angeles isn’t going to put its top players in harm’s way if they are dealing with injuries – even minor ones.
Wednesday’s initial injury report suggests several key players are banged up coming out of Week 16. We already know Jalen Ramsey won’t be on the field on Sunday, but other veterans might get the day off too.
The Rams didn’t practice on Wednesday, so this is merely an estimation of their participation level, but it’s the longest injury report of the year so far. Michael Brockers, Troy Hill, Nsimba Webster and Andrew Whitworth all would’ve been held out, while Eric Weddle would’ve been limited.
Bobby Evans’ hip injury doesn’t appear to be serious, which is a good sign. Darrell Henderson is likely heading for IR with an ankle injury that requires surgery.
The Cardinals didn’t practice on Christmas, either, so their injury report is an estimation, too. With the season ending and neither team playing for a postseason berth, they’ll both likely play it safe with their top players who are battling injuries.