After one game, Jonah Jackson is the lone survivor. Among the five projected starters along the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line at the start of training camp, Jackson was the lone player practicing Wednesday.
But as the Rams look ahead to an NFC West date with Arizona on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX), don’t expect Sean McVay to pass around tissues at his team meetings.
“We’re not going to sulk,” the Rams’ head coach said Tuesday. “We’re not going to say, ‘Why is me.’ We’re going to get the next guy ready to go. We’re going to get some new bodies in here, and then we’ll be grateful when we get those guys who are injured back.”
If those “next guys” on the decimated offensive line can somehow block for Matthew Stafford, he’ll still be without wide receiver Puka Nacua, placed on injured reserve/designated to return with a PCL sprain in his knee.
With Nacua out at least the next four games, Adam Rank from NFL Network said Jordan Whitting has the most upside for fantasy owners. And after last week’s effort, the team seems to have Cooper Kupp (14 catches, 110 yards, touchdown) back to doing Cooper Kupp things. Plus, menacing tight end Colby Parkinson figures to play a big role this week.
As early as next week, the Rams could see the return of tackle Alaric Jackson, serving a two-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. But tackle Rob Havenstein, guards Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson as well as tackle Joe Noteboom are out indefinitely, and could join Nacua on injured reserve.
“The league, it continues to move,” McVay said. “And it’s a thankless deal with some of these injuries, and it is unfortunate; I feel for the players getting injured. But you’re not going to see any pity from me.”