Tag: rams injuries

Joe Noteboom returns to practice for first time since injuring ankle in Week 1

The Rams designated Joe Noteboom to return on Wednesday, giving him a chance to be activated as early as this week

Joe Noteboom was one of the many players to get injured in the Rams’ Week 1 loss to the Lions but he’s in line to be the first to return. Sean McVay said Wednesday that the Rams opened his 21-day practice window, allowing Noteboom to practice for the first time since going on IR after that Week 1 loss.

Noteboom can now be activated at any time and the Rams must do so in the next three weeks. After the team waived Geron Christian on Tuesday, it seems likely that Noteboom will be activated soon.

McVay said Noteboom will be listed as a limited participant on Wednesday after going through a successful workout Monday, just as Cooper Kupp did.

Noteboom injured his ankle in that Week 1 loss and had to be carted to the locker room. It’s the latest injury for the versatile offensive lineman, who has missed multiple games for the sixth consecutive season.

Cooper Kupp had a ‘positive workout’ Monday, could play this weekend

Cooper Kupp had a “positive workout” on Monday and has a chance to play this weekend against the Raiders, per Ian Rapoport

Cooper Kupp has been out since spraining his ankle in Week 2 and while it was always viewed as a multi-week injury, the Rams opted not to place him on IR because they believed there was a chance he could return before having to miss four games.

Having missed the last three games, Kupp is on track to potentially return this weekend against the Raiders. Sean McVay isn’t saying with any level of certainty that Kupp will play, but he’s trending in the right direction.

According to Ian Rapoport, Kupp had a “positive workout” on Monday afternoon and has a chance to suit up against the Raiders. McVay emphasized the importance of Monday’s workout so it’s a good sign that the session went well.

If Kupp does return to the starting lineup this weekend, it’ll provide a big boost to an offense that’s been sorely missing him. Puka Nacua remains out and McVay said he’s still “a little bit of ways away” but the return of Kupp will be a welcome one.

Kickoff between the Rams and Raiders is set for 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium.

Rams shouldn’t rush Cooper Kupp back from his ankle injury

Cooper Kupp may have an ideal return date in mind but here’s why the Rams should elect not to rush him back from an ankle sprain

On Monday, Sean McVay made a public announcement pertaining to the return of wide receiver Cooper Kupp, stating that Week 7 is the “ideal target” for him to be back on the field with the Rams. McVay also cited words like “by no means is that guaranteed” and called Week 7 an “optimistic target date.”

McVay’s skepticism instilled zero confidence in the idea that Kupp would be 100 percent come Week 7. And even if he is, the Rams should not play him.

Kupp has reached a certain point where the clock on his career has an actual estimate of an end. Though Kupp has the potential to be a productive receiver for another 4-5 years, the injuries are adding up and another could set him back even further.

The season is already rapidly going downhill and his return does little to fix the problems plaguing the Rams. While the opportunity to rewrite the season remains, it won’t be worth it if Kupp picks up an injury and misses any potential playoff run.

The Rams need to take their time with him and push that target date back until words like “optimistic” become confirmed. He’s only four weeks removed from an ankle sprain that required him to be in a cast, so it’s not as if this was merely a minor injury.

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.

Rams-Packers injury report: Darious Williams, Demarcus Robinson upgraded

Darious Williams and Demarcus Robinson were both full participants for the Rams on Thursday, putting them on track to play Sunday

The Los Angeles Rams wrapped up their second day of practice Thursday, continuing their prep for this weekend’s game against the Packers. The players listed on the injury report all remained the same as Wednesday with no additional names added, which is a good sign for the Rams.

Even better, Darious Williams and Demarcus Robinson were both upgraded from limited to full participants, putting them on track to play against the Packers this weekend’s game.

Larrell Murchison was actually downgraded from limited to DNP because he’s now dealing with a foot injury, unrelated to the forearm issue that landed him on IR.

On the Packers’ side, Luke Musgrave, Devonte Wyatt and Christian Watson are all still not practicing, and Romeo Doubs missed practice for a personal matter.

Jaire Alexander, Kenny Clark and Eljton Jenkins were all upgraded to limited.

Rams-Packers injury report: 4 players listed for LA, 10 for Green Bay

The Rams’ initial injury report of the week is much shorter than the Packers’

The Los Angeles Rams are preparing to face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and neither team is particularly healthy heading into the game. They’re actually trending in opposite directions, which is good news for the Rams.

The Rams listed four players on the initial report Wednesday, with Cooper Kupp being the only one who didn’t participate at all. Demarcus Robinson was limited, as were both Larrell Murchison and Darious Williams in their first practice of the season.

Kupp has already been ruled out and there’s a good chance the other three could all play Sunday, depending on whether Murchison and Williams are activated.

For the Packers, they listed 10 players on the injury report. Jaire Alexander, Christian Watson, Elgton Jenkins, Devonte Wyatt, Luke Musgrave and Kenny Clark were all non-participants in practice on Wednesday. They’re all key players for Green Bay and dealing with injuries, so their statuses will bear monitoring throughout the week.

Jordan Love, who returned from a knee injury last week, was limited in practice but he still should be fine to play on Sunday against the Rams.

Rams-Bears injury report: Final update for Week 4 matchup

There are no injury concerns for the Rams this week, but the same can’t be said about the Bears

For the first time all season, the Los Angeles Rams have fewer legitimate injury concerns than their opponent. Yes, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson are all still out, but they came out of Week 3 unscathed, resulting in a shorter injury report ahead of Sunday’s game.

Kupp has been ruled out for this week, as expected. Davis Allen is questionable and Logan Bruss is good to go after being listed on the report this week, but Sean McVay said Allen is expected to play.

The Chicago Bears are in worse shape injury-wise. They have three players who are questionable, all of them being starters: Keenan Allen, Andrew Billings and Kevin Byard. Three others have already been ruled out, as well: Stephen Carlson, Zacch Pickens and Terrell Smith.

Allen is the most notable name in that group but he was a full participant Friday so he could be making his return to action after missing two games.

Cooper Kupp is out of his cast and doing rehab work with Puka Nacua

Cooper Kupp is no longer in a cast and has begun the rehab process for his ankle injury, which is a good sign

Cooper Kupp isn’t quite ready to return from his ankle injury, and he’s already been ruled out for Week 4 against the Bears, but he’s at least making progress the Rams expected a week and a half removed from the injury. On Wednesday, Kupp was out on the practice field without a cast on his foot and doing rehab work with Puka Nacua, who has a knee injury of his own.

He was obviously still listed as a non-participant but the fact that he’s moving around and not still in a cast is a good sign. It’s also encouraging that the Rams didn’t put him on injured reserve, which suggests they believe he can return before Week 8, which is when he would’ve been first eligible to come back if he were placed on IR.

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In Kupp’s absence, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington and Tyler Johnson all stepped up in the Rams’ win over the 49ers on Sunday, but there’s no question they want their All-Pro receiver back as soon as possible.

Rams unsure when CB Darious Williams will return from IR

Darious Williams is eligible to return next week but Sean McVay doesn’t sound certain he’ll be back by then

Darious Williams is one of the 11 players on injured reserve for the Los Angeles Rams right now after he suffered a hamstring strain in training camp and then aggravated it just before the season. His absence has been felt in the secondary but the Rams will get him back at some point.

It’s just unclear if he’ll return when first eligible for the team’s Week 5 game against the Packers. Sean McVay was asked about Williams’ status Wednesday and he says the team hasn’t had discussions about activating him yet, which isn’t exactly encouraging to hear.

“I don’t know that yet,” he said. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about that but I do know this, he’s making good progress. As far as when he will be able to return, [we] have not decided that yet.”

Hamstring injuries can be tricky, as we saw with Cooper Kupp last season when he strained his and then suffered a setback before the season, similar to Williams. The Rams always talk about a player returning to performance, not returning to play, so they want to ensure that Williams is all the way back before activating him.

They signed the veteran cornerback to a three-year deal this offseason, bringing him back to Los Angeles after he had a two-year stint in Jacksonville. Once he returns, he’s expected to be one of the starting cornerbacks on the outside, which will impact Cobie Durant’s playing time.

Rams finally played a game without suffering any injuries

After getting decimated by injuries in the first two weeks, the Rams finally escaped a game without losing anyone

To borrow a quote from Al Michaels: “Do you believe in miracles?”

Somehow, the Los Angeles Rams managed to play a game without suffering any significant injuries. After losing Puka Nacua, Joe Noteboom and Steve Avila in Week 1, and then Cooper Kupp, Jonah Jackson and John Johnson III in Week 2, the Rams escaped Sunday’s win over the 49ers with a clean bill of health.

It’s a miraculous development for a team that’s been decimated by injuries, something Sean McVay is clearly very happy about.

“No, by the grace of God, we didn’t,” McVay said when asked about whether the Rams suffered any injuries in the game. “We came out fairly clean. A couple of little nicks and bruises, but nothing that’s going to keep anybody out. That’s a very positive thing because we can now start to establish somewhat of a continuity with the same groups being able to work together two weeks in a row. That’s a blessing.”

Logan Bruss did leave the field for a couple of plays while getting looked at by trainers, but he returned quickly and should be good to go for Week 4 against the Bears. The offensive line staying healthy is essential because as McVay said, getting continuity up front makes a huge difference for the offense.