The Los Angeles Rams are preparing to play the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7, and the injuries just keep piling up. Earlier this week, the Rams placed wide receiver Davante Adams and nose tackle Poona Ford on injured reserve. Additionally, defensive lineman Kobie Turner has been ruled out for a handful of weeks.
However, the Rams will be monitoring other key starters as well this week. On Wednesday, cornerback Trent McDuffie didn’t practice with a groin injury and remains day-to-day. Additionally, linebacker Nate Landman has been placed in the concussion protocol.
“Trent will be a DNP with his groin. We'll take it a day at a time, like what I told you guys, and evaluate his status as we go,” said head coach Sean McVay. “Then on Monday, found out Landman landed in the concussion protocol so he'll be a DNP.”
McDuffie was a late addition to the injury report last week. While McVay said that he felt good about him going into Sunday, McDuffie was inactive for the game. McDuffie will certainly be one to monitor this week.
While Landman's presence on the injury report isn’t surprising given that he’s been there the last few weeks, his placement in the concussion protocol is certainly a new development. In order to return to play, Landman will be limited in his allowed activity. He’ll then graduate to an aerobic exercise program overseen by the club’s medical staff.
Once he passes that, he’ll be able to perform sport-specific activities.Step four involves returning to non-contact drills. Finally, in the last phase, Landman would have to be a full participant in practice and contact without showing any signs or symptoms of a concussion.
Cornerback Josh Wallace and tight end Colby Parkinson were also on the injury report, but both were full participants.
Lastly, after leaving Kobie Turner off the injured reserve transactions on Tuesday alongside Davante Adams and Poona Ford, the Rams placed him on injured reserve Wednesday. Turner will be out for a minimum of four weeks. In corresponding moves, the Rams signed EDGE Darryl Peterson III to the active roster and signed Jalen Hunt to the practice squad.
While the Rams only have four players on the injury report to start the week, that’s the same number of players they’ve put on injured reserve over the last few days. It’s almost as if you wake up and expect more injury news from the Rams.
“Everybody sees these and they're on their fantasy team or whatever and they're like, 'I have to trade a guy in and out now.' We're like, 'Well, that guy has worked his ass off for the last eight months to get this opportunity and it's unfortunate he doesn't get to do what he loves to do,’” said quarterback Matthew Stafford. “I feel more for our guys than I do for anybody else.I know the work that they put into it to be out here doing what they love, so that hurts me for them. But at the same time, I think I just feel even more responsibility to try to be as good as I can be to help us continue to win.”
For the Raiders, defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway was the only non-participant as he remains in the concussion protocol. The Rams will certainly monitor the statuses of tight end Brock Bowers, offensive tackle Kolton Miller, and linebacker Quay Walker. All three were limited on Wednesday.
The Rams will already be shorthanded against the Raiders, and losing McDuffie or Landman would only make matters worse. With several key starters already sidelined, the Rams can’t afford to lose more players as they look to get back in the win column.
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