Tag: Jordan Whittington

Rams led NFL in PFWA All-Rookie Team selections for 2nd year in a row

No team in the NFL had more PFWA All-Rookie selections than the Rams, once again showing how great their 2024 class was

From top to bottom, it’s easy to make the case that the Los Angeles Rams’ draft class was the best of any team in 2024. Jared Verse is likely to be the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, while Beaux Limmer went from sixth-round rookie to starting center – and not out of necessity, but rather merit.

The Pro Football Writers of America gave the Rams’ class some high praise with the release of its 2024 All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, picking three players from Los Angeles to represent the Rams.

Jared Verse, who was named PFWA’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, earned a spot at linebacker. Braden Fiske, rookie leader in sacks this season, got the nod along the defensive line. And Jordan Whittington was voted the best rookie kick returner in the league by the PFWA.

The Rams’ three selections are the most of any team, showing just how great their rookie class was. It’s the second year in a row that the Rams have had the most All-Rookie selections in the league after having four players picked in 2023: Steve Avila, Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner and Byron Young.

Les Snead and Sean McVay have absolutely nailed their last two drafts, coming away with legitimate cornerstone players to build around for the next 3-4 years. With the young playmakers and defensive studs spread throughout the roster, the Rams are set up for long-term success thanks to these two classes.

It’s time for the Rams to shake things up at WR amid Kupp’s slump

With Cooper Kupp in a slump, Jordan Whittington could be just the spark the Rams need on offense

Cooper Kupp has never had a stretch like this in his career.

In his last three games, Kupp has caught four passes for a total of 53 yards and no touchdowns. He was blanked against the 49ers in Week 15, caught three passes for 24 yards against the Jets and had one 29-yard reception versus Arizona.

Prior to his dreadful December, Kupp never had fewer than six catches and 77 yards in a three-game span. As bad as his numbers have been lately, it’s not a complete anomaly for the star receiver in the last two years. In fact, it’s become a somewhat troubling trend.

From 2017-2022, there was only one stretch where Kupp had 10 or fewer catches and 100 or fewer yards in a three-game span. That came in November of 2019 when he caught nine passes for 88 yards from Week 10-12.

Since the start of the 2023 season, he’s had three stretches with 10 or fewer catches and 100 or fewer receiving yards in a span of three games: Weeks 7-9 and Weeks 10-12 in 2023, and Weeks 15-17 this season.

The reality is, Kupp is no longer the receiver he once was. He’s had just one game with more than 60 yards receiving in his last six, posting four stat lines with fewer than four catches and less than 30 yards.

It’s time for the Rams to face the facts and shake things up at wide receiver for their playoff run.

This isn’t to say they need to bench Kupp and take him off the field completely. He’s still valuable as a chain-mover on short routes and contributes as a blocker in the run game, but at this point in his career, he doesn’t exactly threaten a defense the way he once did.

For that reason, the Rams should give Jordan Whittington more opportunities. After catching 13 passes for 151 yards in Weeks 4 and 5, Whittington went 10 straight games without catching a pass or even being targeted. His role disappeared after injuring his shoulder in Week 5, which coincided with the return of Puka Nacua and Kupp in Week 8.

In the season finale on Sunday, however, Whittington flashed once again. He caught three passes for 86 yards and also carried the ball twice for 12 yards on jetsweeps, picking up first downs both times – including a fourth-and-1 early in the game.

He hauled in a 50-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo on a beautiful out-and-up double-move that put the cornerback on the turf, leaving Whittington wide open down the left sideline.

Good things happen when he has the ball in his hands, which has been the case all year. He simply hasn’t had many opportunities to actually possess the ball for whatever reason.

Increasing a rookie’s role in the playoffs may be a little bit risky, but the offense is sputtering and Whittington showed on Sunday afternoon that he can provide a spark. Whether it’s on handoffs or screen passes, there are simple ways to get him the ball and let him use his speed and physicality to pick up hard-earned yards.

He’s been terrific as a kick returner, too, showing what he can do with a little bit of space in the open field.

With Kupp in a slump and going through a cold spell, Whittington could be just what the Rams offense needs this postseason.

Will Jordan Whittington play this week? Injury updates for Rams WR

Jordan Whittington missed last week’s game with a shoulder injury suffered in Week 5 and he’s not certain to play Sunday against the Seahawks

It’s been an up-and-down five weeks for Rams rookie Jordan Whittington. The sixth-round pick went from playing 90-plus percent of the snaps against the Bears and Packers to only playing nine snaps in the next two games combined because of a lingering shoulder injury suffered at the end of Week 5.

Whittington managed to play nine snaps in Week 7 despite not being fully healthy, and even after an additional few days of rest, he was unable to suit up against the Vikings last Thursday night.

Sean McVay provided an update on the promising young receiver Monday and it doesn’t sound like he’s certain to be active this week when the Rams visit the Seahawks.

Jordan Whittington injury update

It was surprising to see Whittington inactive in Week 8 against the Vikings after he played nine snaps four days prior, but that was probably in part because of the returns of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. With the Rams’ top two receivers healthy, as well as Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson and Tutu Atwell all contributing, they chose not to put Whittington in harm’s way.

McVay told reporters Monday that he should be feeling better but it remains to be seen if he’ll be one of the 48 players who are active on game day this week.

“We’ll see. The shoulder injury, I’m sure that he’ll be feeling better and better,” McVay said. “How does that restrict his availability to be the player that we know we’ve seen and when he’s been playing the way that he’s accustomed to play? What does that mean in terms of your 48? There are some positive problems that we’ve to be able to figure out now, especially as it relates to that receiver room being able to get a couple of our lead dog guys back healthy and ready to go.”

How long will Jordan Whittington be out?

It’s unclear whether Whittington will play this week or not, but if he is sidelined again, it could be more about the depth the Rams have at wide receiver than his current health. Playing a similar role to Nacua, the Rams may not see a clear role for Whittington when everyone is available.

As a result, it’s entirely up in the air when we’ll see the rookie on the field again.

Rams WR depth chart

Starter Backup
WR1 Cooper Kupp Tutu Atwell
WR2 Puka Nacua Jordan Whittington
WR3 Demarcus Robinson Tyler Johnson

The Rams have plenty of depth at wide receiver, with all six of the above players seeing meaningful snaps this season. Kupp and Nacua will start to play more snaps as they near full health, and it seems Robinson is entrenched as WR3 alongside them.

How will Cooper Kupp’s return impact Rams’ WR depth chart?

With Cooper Kupp returning, how will the Rams deploy their Tutu Atwell, Demarcus Robinson and their other WRs?

The Los Angeles Rams have merely been trying to tread water in the last four and a half games without Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua available. Their receiving corps has consisted of players such as Tutu Atwell, Demarcus Robinson and Jordan Whittington, with Tyler Johnson and Xavier Smith also contributing.

Despite only playing in a game and a half this season, Kupp still ranks third on the team in receptions (18), which shows how heavily utilized he was in Weeks 1 and 2 before injuring his ankle. With Kupp on the verge of returning this Thursday, it creates some questions about how the Rams’ receiving corps will look now that he’s back.

Even for a team that uses 11 personnel more than 90% of the time, fitting all six wideouts into the equation will be a challenge. So who stands to lose playing time when Kupp returns?

If we look at the snap counts from this season, it could help paint a clearer picture.

  • Demarcus Robinson: 352 snaps
  • Tutu Atwell: 220 snaps
  • Tyler Johnson: 196 snaps
  • Jordan Whittington: 190 snaps

Demarcus Robinson

Even though he’s only caught 13 passes this season, the fewest of the bunch, Robinson continues to play the majority of the snaps. He’s played at least 85% in every game this season, including 91% in the Rams’ most recent game against the Raiders. After starting the year as the No. 3 receiver, we can assume he’ll remain one of the starters with Kupp back.

Tyler Johnson

Johnson had been relegated to a role as the No. 4 receiver prior to Week 5 when Whittington was limited to just nine snaps due to a lack of practice time as he recovers from a shoulder injury. Johnson played just 10 and 11 snaps in Weeks 4 and 5 before playing 50 snaps on Sunday.

Tutu Atwell

Atwell’s role has been steady since Week 3, playing 74%, 90%, 81% and 78% of the snaps in the last four games. His skill set is completely different than Kupp’s, so he provides some variety at wide receiver with his speed and downfield ability.

Jordan Whittington

And then there’s the wild card Whittington, who caught a total of 13 passes for 151 yards in Weeks 4 and 5 before playing just nine snaps on Sunday. He played 97% of the snaps in Week 4 and 92% in Week 5, looking like he had fully taken over the Puka Nacua role. After being listed as a non-participant on Monday’s injury report, and with Sean McVay saying he hopes he has “a little bit more of a workload” this week, it doesn’t sound like Whittington is fully healthy.

Projection

As long as Kupp is healthy, which he appears to be after being a full participant on Monday’s estimated report, he’s going to play the majority of the snaps. We can probably expect Atwell to play about 75% of the snaps as one of the outside receivers, with Robinson getting a healthy number of snaps as the X-receiver on the boundary.

That leaves the rest of the snaps to Johnson and Whittington. Johnson led the team with 57 yards in Sunday’s win, but he’s not exactly a dynamic playmaker. And with Whittington banged up, he may not be ready for a full workload just yet.

Sean McVay explains why Jordan Whittington hardly played vs. Raiders

Sean McVay provided clarity on the reason for Jordan Whittington’s lack of playing time against the Raiders

With Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua sidelined, Jordan Whittington became a focal point of the Los Angeles Rams’ offense. In Weeks 4 and 5, he played more than 90% of the offensive snaps and totaled 13 receptions for 161 yards, seeing 18 passes thrown his way by Matthew Stafford.

But in Sunday’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Whittington was only on the field for nine offensive snaps and wasn’t targeted a single time. In fact, all nine of his snaps came as a blocker in the run game, so he didn’t run a single route.

Whittington was limited all week in practice due to a shoulder injury suffered at the end of Week 5, but Sean McVay never indicated it would affect his availability for Sunday’s game. McVay said all along that Whittington was expected to play, and technically, he did.

On Monday, McVay explained Whittington’s lack of playing time, saying it was because the receiver wasn’t able to practice much throughout the week. He hopes that Whittington can have “a little bit more of a workload” against the Vikings on Thursday night.

Cooper Kupp is expected to return and play in his first game since injuring his ankle in Week 2, so there will be fewer snaps at wide receiver available. That alone could limit Whittington’s role, and McVay’s comments don’t exactly indicate the rookie will have a full workload Thursday night.

For now, Whittington can probably be viewed as a backup until he’s 100% healthy.

Everyone wants to know why Jordan Whittington barely played vs. Raiders

Jordan Whittington barely played in the Rams’ win over the Raiders, which made bettors and fantasy owners quite angry

Jordan Whittington injured his shoulder at the end of the Rams’ Week 5 loss to the Packers, but Sean McVay said the next day that it shouldn’t affect his availability for Week 7 against the Raiders. With it seemingly being a minor injury and two weeks before the Rams’ next game, it was assumed that he’d play Sunday against Las Vegas.

Despite being listed as limited all week in practice, McVay once again said Whittington was expected to play. And sure enough, he wasn’t listed on the Rams’ inactives Sunday afternoon, indicating he would suit up and be a key contributor on offense again.

Well, Whittington was absent from the first few drives by the Rams offense, which sent bettors and fantasy managers into an all-out panic. Despite being a rookie, Whittington has been an integral part of the passing game as a receiver, as well as the running game as a blocker. But for most of the afternoon, he was nowhere to be found.

Everyone wants to know why Whittington only played a few snaps, primarily on run plays where he was a blocker. He didn’t get targeted a single time and it was hard to even find him on the field. That’s how infrequently No. 88 was out there.

McVay wasn’t asked about it after the game, nor was Matthew Stafford, so it’s anyone’s guess as to why he wasn’t a factor. Was he simply demoted and replaced by Tyler Johnson? Is his shoulder injury still an issue?

At this point, no one really knows besides the players and coaches, but there’s no question it’s a mysterious and bizarre situation. Here are some of the reactions on social media after people bet on his props and started him in fantasy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rams vs. Raiders inactives: Cooper Kupp out, Jordan Whittington active

Cooper Kupp is officially inactive today against the Raiders, but Jordan Whittington will play after being questionable

Los Angeles Rams fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Cooper Kupp back on the field. The All-Pro wide receiver is officially inactive today against the Las Vegas Raiders, which will be his fourth consecutive missed game.

Kupp practiced all week but was limited, attempting to return from a sprained ankle suffered in Week 2 against the Cardinals. The good news is Jordan Whittington, who was questionable to play, is officially active and will suit up as one of the Rams’ top receivers again.

Joe Noteboom is inactive, as expected, remaining on injured reserve for at least one more week. Those were the only three players listed with injury designations for the Rams this week, so everyone else is good to go.

Tre’Davious White is a healthy scratch once again, as are Stetson Bennett, Cody Schrader, Jonah Williams and Desjuan Johnson.

Below are the Raiders’ inactives, including Jokobi Meyers. He was doubtful to play as of Friday.

Rams should make Jordan Whittington a starter for the rest of the season

Jordan Whittington has stepped up for the Rams and he should remain a starter even after Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua return

We’ve seen enough. Jordan Whittington is a bonafide NFL talent. Having shined against the Packers, making critical catches time and time again, it’s time for the Rams to reward him with a starting job for the rest of the season.

He’s, at worst, the second-best healthy receiver on the roster at the moment and while Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua may return at some point this season, that shouldn’t take away from the amount of snaps Whittington sees per game.

Not only has Whittington played extremely well, making difficult catches look easy, his frame and footwork make him an excellent option in the short passing game, especially on slants and crossing routes.

https://twitter.com/bgrisakTST/status/1843493556154925374

Unlike Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell and Tyler Johnson, whose futures with the Rams are murky, Whittington is on a prorated rookie contract for the next three seasons.

If the Rams are serious about winning now, they need to keep Whittington on the field. If they’re aiming for a Super Bowl run within the next couple of years and possibly building a potential dynasty with the core group of talented youngsters they have now, Whittington will be a crucial part of that process.

Give Whittington the playing time he needs today so he can make a franchise-defining play tomorrow.

Sean McVay shares update on Jordan Whittington’s shoulder injury

Sean McVay gave an update on the shoulder injury that Jordan Whittington suffered over the weekend.

During Sean McVay’s press conference on Monday, he detailed some of the injuries suffered by the Rams, including a shoulder injury sustained by rookie receiver Jordan Whittington.

McVay said Whittington “got his shoulder” but like the other banged-up players coming out of Sunday, this injury won’t cause him to miss any time.

As Rams fans were witnessed to on Sunday, Whittington put his body on the line time and time again, including a diving catch where he seemingly landed on his shoulder.

He was also tackled hard on a crossing route late in the game, landing on his shoulder that time, as well. He completed the catch still.

Fortunately for the Rams, he isn’t expected to miss any time and with the team having a bye this week, he should be 100 percent by their next game.

Jordan Whittington (shoulder) left Rams’ locker room in a sling

Jordan Whittington suffered a shoulder injury in the Rams’ loss on Sunday and was spotted in a sling after the game

It’s as if the Rams are incapable of catching a break when it comes to injuries. Just as Jordan Whittington has started to emerge as Matthew Stafford’s go-to target, he suffered what appears to be a shoulder injury in Sunday’s loss to the Packers.

Whittington was shaken up on a play late in the game, walking into the tunnel in the fourth quarter and missing at least part of the final drive. The severity of the injury is unclear but he was spotted wearing a sling as he left the locker room after the game.

That’s a bad sign for the Rams and their young receiver, but the good news is they’re entering the bye so he’ll have an extra week to recover before the team takes the field again in Week 7.

Sean McVay will address the media on Monday and likely provide an update on the rookie receiver’s status.