Tag: Jonah Jackson

Sean McVay shares the latest on Steve Avila, Jonah Jackson and John Johnson III

Sean McVay isn’t sure if Steve Avila, Jonah Jackson or John Johnson will practice this week but they’re “making good progress”

The Los Angeles Rams really haven’t been at full strength all year, particularly along the offensive line. They were without Alaric Jackson and Rob Havenstein in Week 1, and then both Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson went down with injuries. They’ve been sidelined since the first two weeks of the season but they could be nearing a return.

The same goes for John Johnson III, who’s been out since injuring his shoulder in Week 2. All three players are on injured reserve and the Rams have yet to designate any of them to return to practice. On Monday, Sean McVay shared the latest on those three injured stars, saying he’s unsure if they’ll practice this week but he isn’t ruling it out.

“I don’t know that we’re at that point yet but then again, when you guys asked me this about Puka [Nacua] last week, I was surprised,” McVay said. “I have not gotten a chance – I just got the medical updates as it relates to those guys that I’ve mentioned really with Kam Curl and with Neville Gallimore, but usually tomorrow is kind of when we have our checkup on those guys that have been rehabbing. They’re making good progress but as far as this week, I don’t know if I anticipate their status changing and you guys will be the first to know on Wednesday if that does.”

It sounds like they probably won’t be designated to return this week, but as McVay said, he also didn’t anticipate Nacua practicing last week until he got back on the field Wednesday and shined on Thursday Night Football one day later.

In the absence of Avila and Jackson, the Rams have Justin Dedich at left guard and Beaux Limmer at center, and both are playing well at the moment. That doesn’t mean they’ll keep those two rookies as the starters when Avila and Jackson return, but they’re holding down the fort.

Kam Curl and Quentin Lake are also playing well at safety, so the Rams will need to devise a plan for Johnson’s return and figure out where he fits. One good possibility is starting him next to Curl and moving Lake back to the slot where he’s excelled.

When will Rams’ injured players come off IR? Sean McVay lays out return timelines

From Joe Noteboom to Jonah Jackson, Sean McVay shared the order in which he expects the Rams’ injured players to return

The Los Angeles Rams currently have nine players on injured reserve, seven of whom could return at some point this season. Among them are Steve Avila, Jonah Jackson, John Johnson, Puka Nacua and Joe Noteboom.

All five have been starters at some point this season and when they return, they’ll all have a chance to be inserted back into the starting lineup.

Because of injured reserve rules, players are required to miss at least four games after being placed on IR. For some players, though, their absences will last longer than just those four games.

Sean McVay hasn’t said exactly when each player will return but on the “Coach McVay Show” Monday, he laid out the order in which they’ll likely be activated.

He said Noteboom is likely to be first, then Avila, Nacua and Johnson, and then Jackson as the last player to come back.

“Joe could be earlier than those guys,” he said of Noteboom, Avila and Nacua. “Joe’s got a big workout that’s scheduled this week. We’ll see what that looks like in terms of his availability for the Raiders and then possibly for the Vikings. Really, then it’s Steve and Puka. J.J.’s in that group. And then Jonah would be after that.”

Here’s when each player is first eligible to be activated from IR.

  • OL Steve Avila (knee): Week 7
  • WR Puka Nacua (knee): Week 7
  • OL Joe Noteboom (ankle): Week 7
  • OL Jonah Jackson (shoulder): Week 8
  • S John Johnson III (shoulder): Week 8

The Rams also have Conor McDermott and KT Leveston on IR, who are both eligible to be activated at any time after missing the first four games of the season. Darious Williams has already been activated, as was Larrell Murchison, but Murchison had to be placed back on IR after breaking his foot in his first practice.

Reinforcements are undoubtedly on the way for the Rams, it’s just a matter of how soon each player will be ready.

Everything to know about Rams’ IR situation: Who’s on it, how many can return and when?

The Rams currently have 11 players on IR but not all of them will be able to return this season. Here’s what you need to know about LA’s tough situation.

It’s only Week 3 but the Los Angeles Rams’ roster has been decimated by injuries already. It makes their 0-2 start even worse, knowing players such as Steve Avila, Puka Nacua, Jonah Jackson and John Johnson III won’t be back for awhile.

Cooper Kupp is also injured, but unlike the four players above, he has not been placed on injured reserve – yet, at least. Sean McVay said it’s still possible Kupp will go on IR with an ankle injury, but the team is undecided as of now.

Part of the reason they didn’t place Kupp on IR is that they’re limited in the number of players who can be designated to return from IR. If they keep putting players on IR, not everyone will be able to return, so the Rams have to be selective – even if it means an injured player taking up a roster spot.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Rams’ dubious IR situation, including the players currently on the list and when they can return.

Who’s currently on IR?

  1. OL Steve Avila (knee)
  2. OL Jonah Jackson (shoulder)
  3. S John Johnson III (shoulder)
  4. CB Derion Kendrick (knee)
  5. OL Conor McDermott (undisclosed)
  6. WR Puka Nacua (knee)
  7. OL Joe Noteboom (ankle)
  8. CB Tre Tomlinson (undisclosed)
  9. CB Darious Williams (hamstring)
  10. OL KT Leveston (ankle)
  11. DT Larrell Murchison (arm)

How many games do they have to miss?

Players who are placed on injured reserve must miss a minimum of four games. Not four weeks, but four games. After the fourth game, teams are able to designate a player to return from IR, at which point they can begin practicing.

Once a player is designated to return, the team has a 21-day window to activate him to the 53-man roster. If he’s not activated in that timeframe, he will remain on IR for the rest of the season.

How many players can be designated to return?

Teams are allowed to designate eight players to return from IR, or 10 if the team reaches the playoffs. So for the Rams, they already have 11 players on IR, two of whom have already been ruled out for the year (Derion Kendrick and Tre Tomlinson).

That leaves nine other players who are eligible to return. Leveston and Murchison were designated to return before the season started, and it’s expected that the other seven players could all be back at some point this year.

When is each player first eligible to return?

  1. OL Steve Avila (knee): Week 7
  2. OL Jonah Jackson (shoulder): Week 8
  3. S John Johnson III (shoulder): Week 8
  4. CB Derion Kendrick (knee): Out for year
  5. OL Conor McDermott (undisclosed): Week 5
  6. WR Puka Nacua (knee): Week 7
  7. OL Joe Noteboom (ankle): Week 7
  8. CB Tre Tomlinson (undisclosed): Out for year
  9. CB Darious Williams (hamstring): Week 5
  10. OL KT Leveston (ankle): Week 5
  11. DT Larrell Murchison (arm): Week 5

Rams place Jonah Jackson and John Johnson III on IR, but not Cooper Kupp

The Rams placed Jonah Jackson and John Johnson III on injured reserve, but they haven’t done the same with Cooper Kupp

The Los Angeles Rams’ injured reserve list is quickly filling up and it’s only Week 3. On Wednesday, the team moved two more players onto IR: guard Jonah Jackson and safety John Johnson III.

Notably, they did not put Cooper Kupp on IR with them.

Though Sean McVay said Monday that Kupp will miss an extended period of time like Jackson and Johnson, it seems they have no plans to put their star receiver on IR.

Either they believe he’ll be back in less than four weeks or they’re worried about only having eight players they can designate to return from IR, so they’d rather keep him on the active roster instead.

Jackson suffered a shoulder injury in Week 1 that will cause him to miss at least four games, and the same goes for Johnson. They’ll be eligible to return in Week 8 because the team has a bye in Week 6.

Recapping Rams’ unbelievably long list of injuries after only 2 games

The Rams’ injuries are piling up and it’s only Week 3. Here’s an updated list of every Rams injury through two games.

No team in the NFL has dealt with more injuries this season than the Los Angeles Rams. In fact, it’s hard to remember a team being this banged up after only two games – especially a team that rested its starters in the preseason to avoid any potential injuries before Week 1.

The Rams have just had bad luck on this front through the first two games of the season, losing several key players to injuries. And it’s not as if they’re all bumps and bruises that cause players to miss one or two games. Most of their injuries have required guys to go on injured reserve and miss at least four games.

Cooper Kupp, John Johnson III and Jonah Jackson are the latest players who are likely headed to IR after getting hurt in Week 2, joining the likes of Puka Nacua, Steve Avila and Joe Noteboom. Here’s a recap of all the injuries suffered by the Rams before the season and since Week 1.

Beware, the list is lengthy.

Injuries suffered since Week 1

WR Cooper Kupp (ankle): Kupp is likely headed to IR after spraining his ankle in Week 2.

S John Johnson III (shoulder): Johnson suffered a hairline fracture in his scapula and will miss 4-6 weeks.

LG Jonah Jackson (shoulder): Jackson suffered the same injury to his scapula that he had in the summer and will likely go on IR.

WR Puka Nacua (knee): Nacua also aggravated an injury from training camp, suffering a PCL sprain that landed him on IR.

OL Steve Avila (knee): Avila was placed on IR after spraining his MCL in the season opener.

OL Joe Noteboom (ankle): Noteboom injured his ankle in Week 1 and was placed on IR with Nacua and Avila.

TE Davis Allen (back): Allen was ruled out for Week 2 after injuring his back. It’s unclear if he’ll miss more time.

K Joshua Karty (groin): McVay said Karty is dealing with a groin injury but he’s expected to be OK, fortunately.

Injuries suffered before Week 1

CB Darious Williams (hamstring): Williams was expected to return from his hamstring injury for Week 1 but he suffered a setback and was placed on IR.

DL Larrell Murchison (arm): Murchison injured his arm in the preseason and has been on IR since, but he was one of two players designated to return.

OL KT Leveston (ankle): Leveston landed on IR before the start of the season but he’s also someone who was designated to return.

CB Tre Tomlinson (undisclosed): Tomlinson was placed on IR with an undisclosed injury before final cuts and he will not return this season.

CB Derion Kendrick (ACL): Kendrick tore his ACL in the first practice of camp and has been ruled out for the season.

OL Conor McDermott (undisclosed): McDermott was placed on injured reserve just before Week and will miss at least the first four games of the season.

TE Tyler Higbee (ACL/MCL): Higbee tore his ACL and MCL in last year’s playoff game and has been on the PUP list with no timeline to return.

Rams LG Jonah Jackson could go on IR with shoulder injury

Jonah Jackson is going to miss extended time with a shoulder injury and could land on injured reserve

Just as the Rams’ offensive line was getting healthy, the group suffered another blow in Sunday’s game. Despite Jonah Jackson playing every snap in the loss, he aggravated his shoulder injury and will miss extended time as a result.

Sean McVay said on Monday that Jackson is a candidate to go on IR with a shoulder injury and like Cooper Kupp, he’ll miss a lengthy period of time. It’s the same injury he suffered in the summer which forced him to miss multiple weeks of practice.

If Jackson does land on IR, he’ll miss at least four games. And considering the Rams have a bye in Week 6, the earliest he’d be able to return is Week 8.

https://twitter.com/adamgrosbard/status/1835790506582024613

Rams injury report: Rob Havenstein questionable, Cobie Durant will play vs. Lions

Cobie Durant is good to go for Sunday but Rob Havenstein’s status is still TBD

Injuries have been a major story for the Los Angeles Rams this summer and it’s continued into the regular season. There have been question marks about a few players entering Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, with Cobie Durant and Rob Havenstein being the biggest.

On Friday, Sean McVay provided updates on both players, as well as Puka Nacua and Jonah Jackson. He said Nacua, Jackson and Durant will all be full participants in the final practice of the week, while Havenstein will be limited for the third day in a row.

Nacua, Jackson and Durant are all expected to play on Sunday against the Lions, which is great news for the Rams. There was never much concern with Nacua or Jackson but Durant’s status was a bit up in the air, which was particularly worrisome with Darious Williams landing on IR.

Havenstein still isn’t certain to play on Sunday but the Rams haven’t yet ruled him out. If he does miss the game, Warren McClendon Jr. will start at right tackle.

Havenstein is officially listed as questionable, but everyone else is good to go for Sunday.

For the Lions, they have three players on the injury report heading into Sunday. Backup safety Loren Strickland has been ruled out with a thumb injury, while fellow safety Ifeatu Melifonwu is doubtful to play with an ankle injury.

Defensive tackle D.J. Reader is questionable due to a quad injury.

Matthew Stafford ‘not too worried’ about Rams’ last-minute O-line change

The Rams made a last-minute change on the O-line by switching Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila’s positions, but Matthew Stafford isn’t worried

The Los Angeles Rams’ plan all offseason was to start Jonah Jackson at left guard and move Steve Avila to center. The reason they signed Jackson to a three-year deal was because Avila had the position versatility to move from guard to center.

However, less than two weeks before the first game of the season, the Rams called an audible and shook up the O-line. They’ve moved Avila back to left guard and slotted Jackson in at center, a surprising decision – particularly this late in the summer.

Center is one of the most important positions on offense because of that player’s communication with the quarterback, so this move could have an impact on Matthew Stafford, too.

Unsurprisingly, he’s not worried about it. He has no concerns about Jackson’s ability to play center or Avila’s talent as a left guard.

“Yeah, I’m not too worried about it,” Stafford said on “Rams Revealed” this week. “Jonah’s a veteran player. We made a switch a couple of years ago during training camp in 2021 when I first got here. It wasn’t quite as late just because of the fact that Jonah really wasn’t practicing. Had he been practicing, I think that switch probably would’ve happened a bit earlier. But I do think we’re finding our way to get the best five out there in the best position to succeed. I have no qualms about how he’s going to play or how we’re going to play up front.”

Stafford played one year with Jackson in Detroit when Jackson was a rookie in 2020, so they do have some experience together beyond the work they got in this offseason. He also had Avila as his left guard last season; the rookie never missed a snap all year.

When healthy and available – Alaric Jackson is suspended two games and Rob Havenstein has an ankle injury – the Rams offensive line has the potential to be a top-five unit in the NFL. It may take a few weeks before we even get a chance to see all five starters together but the protection up front should be great at full strength.

Rams may shake up O-line, move Jonah Jackson to center and Steve Avila to guard

The Rams may make a last-minute change to their offensive line by moving Jonah Jackson to center and Steve Avila back to guard

The Rams continue to tinker with the depth chart as we inch closer to opening weekend.

Sean McVay said Thursday that he’s leaning towards starting free-agent acquisition Jonah Jackson at center and moving Steve Avila back left guard.

“I think so. He’s done a great job,” McVay said of Jackson. “He’s got that personality and the beauty of it is you’ve got really two guys that can play center or guard with Steve [Avila] or Jonah. Jonah hasn’t been out here so we’ve really wanted to make sure that if that was a route we went that we ended up giving him all the reps, especially because of the noise in the atmosphere. He’s done great.”

All offseason, Rams fans and media have been expecting Avila to be the center for the team after the Jackson signing. Avila started at left guard last season, but he also played center in college, so it made sense for him to be the center with Jackson being the left guard.

Avila had been getting reps at center all offseason, however it seems as though McVay has seen something that requires a change. With the season fast approaching, the Rams will need to square away their offensive line if they want to beat what’s expected to be a strong Detroit Lions team in Week 1.

Sean McVay shares injury updates on Darious Williams and Jonah Jackson

Sean McVay shared encouraging updates on Darious Williams and Jonah Jackson, who are nearing returns

Darious Williams and Jonah Jackson have been absent from Los Angeles Rams practice for the last several weeks after each player suffered an injury in camp. Williams strained his hamstring on the second day of camp, while Jackson bruised his scapula three weeks ago.

Jackson has been slowly ramping up his activity level in the last week, working through individual drills recently, and he’ll continue to increase his workload in the near future.

Sean McVay told reporters after the Rams’ practice with the Texans on Thursday that Jackson is going to “work back in” next week, per team reporter Stu Jackson. Additionally, Williams is also going to increase his workload next week as the regular season approaches.

The Rams have had to test their depth at both cornerback and along the offensive line with Williams and Jackson sidelined. Getting both players back will be a huge boost to the team, as both of them will be starters in Week 1.