Tag: Derion Kendrick

Rams place Derion Kendrick on IR, officially ruling him out for 2024

Derion Kendrick is officially out for the 2024 season after he tore his ACL in practice

Derion Kendrick’s 2024 season is over before it can even begin.

The third-year cornerback tore his ACL in the first practice of Rams training camp on Wednesday, news that Sean McVay confirmed the next day. On Friday, the team placed Kendrick on injured reserve, officially sidelining him for the entire season.

While players who are placed on IR during the regular season can be designated to return, any player placed on IR before final cuts are made are ineligible to play for the rest of the season.

It’s a devastating injury for Kendrick, who had been a starter for the Rams at points in the last two seasons. He was expected to battle for playing time this year with the likes of Cobie Durant and Quentin Lake in the slot, but the Rams will move forward at cornerback without the former Clemson defender.

Former Tiger suffers torn ACL in the NFL

A former Tiger has torn his ACL.

A former Clemson cornerback has torn his ACL.

According to head coach Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Derion Kendrick has suffered a torn ACL during practice Wednesday. The expectation is he will miss the 2024 season and get surgery in the next couple weeks.

“Unfortunately, Derion Kendrick did get his ACL yesterday,” Rams head coach Sean McVay saiddThursday. “I’m really proud of the way that he’s worked. He’s continued to really mature in a lot of different ways and if there’s one thing you know about this guy, he can handle setbacks. He’ll have a lot of support from his teammates and coaches, and he’ll attack the rehab.”

The 23 year old will look to recover and comeback stronger in 2025.

Sean McVay won’t rule out Ahkello Witherspoon returning amid Rams’ CB injuries

With the cornerback group taking some hits on the injury front, the Rams would be open to bringing Ahkello Witherspoon back

Through only two days of training camp, the Los Angeles Rams’ cornerback group has already taken a couple of hits. Derion Kendrick tore his ACL on the first day of practice, and Darious Williams suffered a hamstring injury on the final play of Thursday’s session, though the severity is not yet known.

Cornerback depth could become a concern but if they’re looking for some veteran help, there’s a familiar face who’s still available: Ahkello Witherspoon.

Witherspoon has remained a free agent all offseason and the Rams could be open to a reunion. Sean McVay was asked Thursday if he would consider bringing Witherspoon back and he wouldn’t rule it out after seeing how well he played in 2023.

“I would never eliminate it,” McVay said. “I thought he did a really good job. I loved working with Akhello last year and that’s definitely something that you wouldn’t eliminate.”

In more general terms, McVay said the Rams will consider bringing in a veteran to help with the depth, which will prevent starters and key backups from being overworked in practice.

“There’s a possibility of that,” he said. “We have some depth right now but being two days in and then having kind of a de-loaded day and then we will turn it back up on Saturday. We’ll look at those things. The thing you want to make sure you don’t do is when you get short on that depth, other guys have to pick up the slack and then it can kind of have an accumulation of some workloads that you want be mindful of. We’ll definitely take that into consideration.”

McVay went on to discuss the Rams’ cornerback group further, mentioning Tre Tomlinson, Josh Wallace and Charles Woods as players he’s noticed in practice. He then said the team won’t rush Tre’Davious White too much as he recovers from a torn Achilles, so “maybe Ahkello is a possibility for us.”

The Rams came into camp with good depth at cornerback but it’s certainly being tested by the recent Kendrick and Williams injuries.

Sean McVay confirms CB Derion Kendrick tore his ACL in practice

An MRI confirmed Derion Kendrick suffered a torn ACL in the Rams’ first practice of training camp

It only took one practice for the Los Angeles Rams to lose a player to a significant injury. Sean McVay confirmed Thursday what was initially feared earlier in the day: Derion Kendrick tore his ACL.

The injury occurred in the Rams’ first practice of training camp on Wednesday. Kendrick was battling for a roster spot and positioning on the depth chart after starting at cornerback in each of the last two seasons, but he’ll likely miss the entire 2024 campaign.

Kendrick has one career interception and 14 pass breakups, playing 32 games and making 18 starts in his first two years in the NFL. The Rams drafted him in the sixth round in 2022, selecting the Clemson cornerback with the 212th overall pick.

“Unfortunately, Derion Kendrick did get his ACL yesterday,” McVay said. “I’m really proud of the way that he’s worked. He’s continued to really mature in a lot of different ways and if there’s one thing you know about this guy, he can handle setbacks. He’ll have a lot of support from his teammates and coaches and he’ll attack the rehab. He’ll probably get that surgery here in a couple weeks. That’s tough for him and bummed out about that.”

Los Angeles Rams DB feared to have suffered torn ACL

Former Georgia football DB Derion Kendrick ‘feared to have’ suffered a torn ACL during his first training camp practice

Former Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Derion Kendrick is feared to have suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on the first day of training camp. Kendrick is just starting his third season in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams, but it may already be over.

Kendrick is competing for a starting role with the Rams. The former Georgia cornerback has 92 total tackles, 14 pass deflections and one interception in the first two seasons of his NFL career. The Rams selected Kendrick in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news of Kendrick’s unfortunate injury. Kendrick will have more testing done to confirm the initial diagnosis.

“(Los Angeles Rams head coach) Sean McVay did not mention anything about Kendrick being injured after Wednesday’s practice but he will address the media again on Thursday, at which point he’ll likely provide an update on Kendrick’s status,” said Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire.

Rams CB Derion Kendrick feared to have torn ACL in 1st practice of camp

It’s feared that Derion Kendrick suffered a torn ACL in the Rams’ first practice of training camp

The Los Angeles Rams kicked off training camp Wednesday with their first practice at Loyola Marymount but the injury bug is already biting. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the fear is that Derion Kendrick suffered a torn ACL in practice.

Kendrick was a starting cornerback for the Rams in the last two years and was projected to be a depth piece in the secondary this season, but his season might be over before it even begins.

The Rams selected Kendrick in the sixth round of the 2022 draft and he’s played 32 regular-season games since, including 18 starts. He has one career interception and 92 tackles to go with 14 passes defensed.

Sean McVay did not mention anything about Kendrick being injured after Wednesday’s practice but he will address the media again on Thursday, at which point he’ll likely provide an update on Kendrick’s status.

Former Georgia Bulldog named as Rams player on the roster bubble

Former Georgia football star named as Los Angeles Rams player on the roster bubble ahead of training camp

Former Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Derion Kendrick has been identified as a player on the roster bubble for the Los Angeles Rams. Kendrick recorded 92 tackles and an interception during his first two seasons with the Rams, so it would be surprising to see Kendrick not make Los Angeles’ roster.

Kendrick won a national championship with Georgia football in 2021. He could start at outside cornerback for the Rams, but he faces a significant amount of competition at that position and could be forced to move to the slot.

“Kendrick has been benched on three separate occasions in the last two years, including twice last season,” wrote Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire. “The Rams appear to be trying him in the slot, based on Chris Shula’s comments earlier this offseason, but that’s not necessarily a good position for him given his lack of speed and quickness.”

Another former Bulldog, quarterback Stetson Bennett will be fighting for a job with the Los Angeles Rams over the next couple of months.

Rams CB Derion Kendrick’s gun charges dismissed

Derion Kendrick had his gun charges dismissed Tuesday, which stemmed from an arrest last October

Derion Kendrick has had the two gun charges stemming from last October’s arrest dismissed. According to KNX News, a judge dismissed the charges on Tuesday after Kendrick completed 20 hours of community service and a gun safety program.

The two charges against Kendrick, carrying a concealed firearm and carrying a loaded firearm, were both misdemeanors. He was arrested on Oct. 16, not long after the Rams beat the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.

“He fulfilled his obligations,” Kendrick’s attorney, Mark Werksman, said, via KNX News. “He deserved a dismissal because he’s a good young man who never meant to do anything wrong here and the court recognized that.”

Kendrick was drafted by the Rams in the sixth round in 2022 and has started 18 games in the last two seasons. He had one interception last season and 10 pass breakups, giving him 14 deflections in his career.

Russ Yeast, Derion Kendrick getting early shot at ‘star’ role for Rams

Quentin Lake played the “star” role for the Rams last season, but it seems Russ Yeast and Derion Kendrick are competing at that spot this year

Position battles won’t start to really heat up until training camp in July but players are still trying to showcase their abilities during spring practices. At the same time, coaches are beginning to evaluate which players might be in position to earn starting jobs this season.

One position to keep an eye on is the “star” role, which Jalen Ramsey typically played as the slot defender. Quentin Lake took over that spot in 2023 and was presumed to remain there next season, but that may not be the case.

During his press conference on Tuesday, defensive coordinator Chris Shula was asked about the star position and he mentioned two players who have done a good job in that role so far: Russ Yeast and Derion Kendrick. Lake could still be competing for snaps at the star position despite Shula not mentioning his name, but it appears Yeast and Kendrick are getting the snaps there right now.

“Yeah, Russ and ‘DK’ have been doing a great job kind of switching in that spot. And it’s always a spot that – there’s a lot of nuances to it,” Shula said. “It’s guy that’s got to be smart. He’s got to understand the defense. A lot of stuff goes through that guy and he’s got to be able to tackle. He is got to be the hit blocks, but that’s all 11 on defense. So we’re just looking for the best mix of guys and those guys have been doing a great job so far.”

Lake did an excellent job as the Rams’ nickel defender last season, recording an overall grade of 71.2, according to PFF. He only missed two tackles and broke up five passes, allowing a completion rate of 70.8%. He was also very good in run defense, earning a grade of 77.4 in that department.

Kendrick has almost exclusively been a boundary cornerback in his NFL career thus far, only playing nine total snaps in the slot in the last two seasons, while Yeast came into the league as a more traditional safety rather than a nickel defender.

Training camp and the preseason will really determine which player starts in the star role but right now, the Rams are at least giving Yeast and Kendrick a shot to play there.

Should the Rams make a change at CB with Derion Kendrick struggling?

Derion Kendrick had his worst game of the season on Sunday, leading many fans to call for a change at cornerback

For the most part, it’s been an up-and-down season for Derion Kendrick at cornerback. The second-year defender has been a starter for all but one game in 2023, and while he’s had some excellent performances and made big plays, he’s also made too many mistakes in coverage.

His worst performance of the season came on Sunday against Washington when he allowed seven receptions on eight targets for a total of 153 yards and two touchdowns. He also committed a pass interference penalty in the end zone that helped set up the Commanders’ last touchdown.

Penalties and big plays have plagued Kendrick all season, often being the blemishes on what might’ve been solid outings. He’s been called for 11 penalties and has given up receptions that went for 38 yards, 39 yards, 42 yards and 48 yards.

His 566 yards allowed in coverage are the 17th-most among all cornerbacks this season, landing him a 59.9 overall grade this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

After Sunday’s performance where he allowed two long plays and committed a pass interference penalty, several Rams fans were calling for him to be benched – and understandably so. Sean McVay was asked about whether changes will be made in the secondary amid Kendrick’s struggles but he was non-committal on shaking things up.

“We’re just in the early parts of getting ready,” he said Monday. “You kind of accelerate your postgame process. I thought our defense played really well. There were those two drives that could make it feel a lot different than what it was. There were a lot of good things. We had some communication things on their first touchdown we got to do a better job of. And then you just mentioned it, (Commanders WR) Terry McLaurin is a baller and there were some isolation situations where sometimes it’s not going to go down for you and he ended up making some good plays. What I think we need to be able to learn from, and I want ‘DK’ to be able to learn from and not exclusive to him, us overall, is okay on the first touchdown, how do we make sure with a tool that we play that better so we don’t leave the corner route open? When we get them in a fourth down and seven, how can we make sure that we’re not giving ourselves a chance to foul and give them a fresh set of downs playing with the good techniques?”

It sounds like the Rams will probably stick with Kendrick as a starting cornerback again this week when the Saints come to town. McVay still wants to see him improve, particularly in the mental aspect of the game.

“Some of the things that we can control above the neck and being smarter situationally, those are the things that we want to improve upon,” McVay continued. “He’s shown that he can respond to that, but I think there’s a tendency, and I felt this way too, that oh man, it felt a lot different than what the totality of the game was because it was that most recent exposure in regards to when  (Jacoby) Brissett comes in and manufactures two scoring drives and the way that it went down. And it seemed like ‘DK’ was in the middle of that action, but he’ll learn from it. He’s a mentally tough guy and we’ll figure out what we think is the best way to try to defend a really good team that’s playing at a high clip on Thursday.”

If the Rams wanted to make a change at cornerback, there aren’t many options available. Duke Shelley is on injured reserve and Tre Tomlinson has a thigh injury, so he may not be healthy enough to play on Thursday night.

It’s possible the Rams could go with a starting lineup of Ahkello Witherspoon, Cobie Durant and Quentin Lake, along with Jordan Fuller and John Johnson III, but there’s been no indication that a change like that will be made.

It might be time to shake things up, though, because the playoffs are approaching and Kendrick hasn’t always been reliable in big moments.