Rams Midweek Report: Sean McVay Faces His Toughest Test, Myles Garrett Uncertainty, Wide Receiver Trade Targets

Throughout the Sean McVay era, there have been some difficult seasons and slow starts for the Los Angeles Rams. Despite all of the adversity in past seasons, what the Rams are going through now may be his toughest challenge yet.

In 2020, the Rams started 4-1 and had the No. 1 defense in the NFL. However, the relationship between McVay and quarterback Jared Goff hit a breaking point. After McVay broke out in a “run it back” chant at the Super Bowl parade, the Rams went 5-12 and the head coach almost walked away. The Rams started 3-6 in a “re-tool” year, and McVay clawed that team back to make the playoffs. When the Rams started 1-4 in 2024, McVay got that team out of its funk and won the NFC West. 

There have been a lot of trials, tribulations, and moments of adversity for McVay. However, what the Rams have gone through in 2026 through six weeks has been mentally exhausting. This is a team that entered the season as Super Bowl favorites. They traded for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie to help get them over the top. 

However, with each passing week, the Rams seem to hit a new low. The issues that have plagued this roster over the last two years continue to haunt them. Against the Buffalo Bills, they were a blocked field goal away from their most impressive win of the season. This is a roster that should be 4-2 instead of 2-4. But that’s not where this team is. 

Over the last two years, this is a team that continues to find new ways to lose. The heartbreaking losses continued to mount following Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals. After the game, running back Kyren Williams seemed to throw shade at his role when asked why the offense lacked energy, saying, “I can't tell you, bro. Probably because I'm not out there.”

This isn’t to say that McVay is on the verge of losing the locker room or anything to that extreme. With that said, he needs to find a way to bring this locker room together. Williams’ comments, for as much as the Rams may want to brush them aside, are a sign of the team imploding from within. How the Rams have lost in combination with the pressure they faced coming into the season would be mentally draining on any team. 

Entering Week 7, the Rams have hit the injury bug hard. They lost wide receiver Davante Adams for 6-10 weeks and defensive lineman Kobie Turner also ended up on injured reserve. Puka Nacua hurt his calf and was limited in Thursday’s practice. 

Whatever timeline the Rams entered in which it’s as if they walked under a ladder once a day for an entire year, it’s with certainty that they want out. McVay has proven throughout the last decade that he’s one of the best leaders in the NFL. His leadership will be put to the test if he’s going to reel this team back in for another comeback. 

Terrance Ferguson's Return May Take Longer Than Expected

Following the game against the Denver Broncos, the Rams placed tight end Terrance Ferguson on injured reserve. The next week on the Coach McVay show, McVay told J.B. Long that Ferguson would be ready to go after the four weeks. “Bummer for Ferg, man. But he’ll be back, he’ll be ready to go after those four weeks,” said McVay at the time.

That four-week period would have placed Ferguson’s return in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers. While McVay didn’t specify an exact timeline, It didn’t sound as if Ferguson would be out past the four-week injured reserve period.

For an offense that has lacked speed and explosiveness out of 13 personnel, Ferguson’s return would certainly be welcomed. McVay answered questions on Ferguson on Monday. 

“No updates on Terrance, he's just continuing to rehab,” McVay said. “I don't have any sort of imminent return for him quite yet.”

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that Ferguson is not expected to be ready next week. According to Schefter, Ferguson’s recovery will take time. That doesn’t sound as if Ferguson's return is imminent. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Rams’ tight end was out until the bye week in Week 11. 

Myles Garrett's Return Remains Up in the Air

The Myles Garrett injury saga continues to linger. After Garrett underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, he was given a six-week timeline. However, at the time, it was said that Garrett was determined to beat that. Later, it was reported that the Rams were hopeful that Garrett could return last week against the Cardinals, but a return in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders was more realistic. The six-week timeline was a worst-case scenario.

Earlier this week, ESPN’s Dan Graziano slipped in a nugget on Garrett’s potential return in his weekly notebook. While reporting that the Rams would explore the possibility of trading for a wide receiver, Graziano also noted that Garrett could likely be out for “another two or three weeks at least.”

If Garrett is out another two or three weeks, that would make the six week timeline a seven or eight week timeline. Much like Ferguson, it would not be surprising if Garrett remained sidelined until after the bye week.

Rams Hoping for an Early Return From Davante Adams

On the final drive against the Cardinals in Week 6, Davante Adams pulled up with a hamstring injury. After the game, it was revealed that Adams had ruptured his hamstring and would be out 6-10 weeks. 

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Adams is set to undergo a procedure to repair his hamstring by Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Fowler reported that the hope is for Adams to return on the front-end of that 6-10 week timeframe and as close to the post-Week 11 bye as possible. 

McVay said on Wednesday that Adams hadn’t had surgery yet and they were still figuring out details. 

“I think they’re going to give it a couple of days and figure out exactly when is the best time. It’s more of a cleanup type of procedure,” said McVay. “There is a surgery, but it's a cleanup. I'm not a doctor so I don't want to speak out of turn, but it will be something that'll get cleaned up.”

Marshall Faulk Diagnosed With Parkinson's Disease

Rams Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, according to CBS Sports. Faulk has been dealing with the disease for 18 months. Faulk mentioned in an interview that he’s in a good place. 

"The little tremors that I get, you know, they are what they are. I just pay attention to my gait, you know, while I walk, when I'm working out, my ability to balance. It's still where it is,” said Faulk. “I'm functioning. I'm good. You know, I just, I think I caught it early. I'm in a good place."  

Faulk is third on the Rams’ all-time rushing list and is tied with Todd Gurley for the most rushing touchdowns in franchise history. The Rams traded for Faulk prior to the 1999 season and he played a key role in the Greatest Show on Turf. Faulk retired with the Rams in 2005 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. 

3 things I think

1. NFL Officiating Needs More Consistency

While the Rams didn’t lose because of the unnecessary roughness call, it almost guaranteed that they would lose. The Rams had already jumped offsides on the play and the 21-yard completion put the Cardinals just outside of field goal range. The following night, Fred Warner was initially flagged for unnecessary roughness for a more egregious hit and it was picked up. 

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the NFL believes the officials did get the call right on Wallace. However, it also thought that the Warner flag should have stayed. The issue remains the league's lack of consistency in officiating and its use of replay assist.

2. Benching Matthew Stafford Isn't the Answer

There’s no doubt that Matthew Stafford hasn’t played well. He played well against the Buffalo Bills, but in the week before against the Philadelphia Eagles and most of the game last week, he did not. It’s true that Stafford gave the Rams the lead at the end of the game against the Cardinals. The offense was also stagnant and didn’t start moving the ball until under three minutes to play in the game. 

Given Stafford and McVay’s relationship, it’s highly unlikely that the Rams bench their starting quarterback, and they shouldn’t. Unless Stafford gets injured, the Rams aren’t going to shut him down. There’s too much respect there. However, if Stafford continues to play like he has in three out of six games this season, and the Rams continue to lose, the calls for a change are only going to get louder. 

3. Josh Downs Makes Too Much Sense for the Rams

While the Rams are 2-4, they aren’t going to just wave the white flag. Les Snead is going to work the phones and weigh potential options. If the Rams are in position to make a trade, it wouldn’t be surprising to see something get done for the right price. 

Earlier in the week, the Indianapolis Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard. With wide receiver Josh Downs in the final year of his rookie contract, he may be someone who’s available and could be acquired at a reasonable price. Downs is a crisp route-runner and a great separator against man coverage, which the Rams will miss without Adams. Downs is smaller, but very comparable to Zay Flowers. He’d be a great fit in the offense. 

From the Injury Report - WR Puka Nacua Added With a Calf Injury

Every day the Rams wake up, a new player pops up with an injury. While nothing changed in their statuses, cornerback Trent McDuffie and linebacker Nate Landman remained non-participants. Cornerback Josh Wallace and tight end Colby Parkinson were listed as full participants. 

However, wide receiver Puka Nacua was a new addition. Nacua was listed as limited with a calf injury. Nacua left practice early and will be one to monitor in the coming days. The loss of Nacua would be significant, especially as the Rams are already without Adams. 

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