Many fans were anxious to see Kyren Williams make his preseason debut for the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday versus the Cincinnati Bengals. After the rookie running back was a late scratch for the exhibition contest, it was revealed that Sean McVay didn’t want to play the rookie running back due to him being an important player on the roster.
Rookie RB Kyren Williams did not play because he is regarded as an integral part of the plan for the season. Darrell Henderson ran at full speed for trainers and will participate in practice next week, McVay said. Cam Akers TBD, per McVay.
— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) August 28, 2022
Williams recently returned to practice with the Rams after missing weeks of action due to a broken foot. The Notre Dame product would get a decent number of reps with the starters this week in practice with Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson dealing with soft-tissue injuries.
Upon his return to the field, the Rams shared that Williams would make his preseason debut against the Bengals. However, sometime between then and Saturday, Los Angeles thought it would be best if they kept the rookie fifth-round pick inactive in the preseason finale.
McVay has always taken a cautious approach with players that are guaranteed to make the roster, so it’s not surprising to see him play it safe with Williams. The Rams must have seen enough from Williams in practice to feel comfortable in where he’s at in his development in his first season in the NFL.
Even though fans wanted to see the first-year running back in action this preseason, the Rams would prefer Williams to be healthy in case Akers or Henderson are unable to suit up at any moment in the season.
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