The Los Angeles Rams are struggling with injuries as both Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson are dealing with soft tissue injuries without any timetable for recovery. As the season starts in just three weeks, both athletes could end up missing significant practice time.
Cautious Rams
“[With] soft-tissue things, it’s always a difficult thing because you don’t want to ever push somebody,” said Sean McVay, coach for the Rams.
The Rams will be taking a careful approach regarding the players’ injuries. The team will wait until both players are in good condition before resuming their practice. While there are no specific timetables, McVay said that recovery could take anywhere between one week and one day.
Soft tissue injuries can take up to six weeks to heal if they are serious, which suggests that the injuries the athletes received were relatively light. While this is good news for fans of the Rams, soft tissue injuries are relatively common in high-impact sports such as football. Just 10 days ago, Brandon Stephens from the Baltimore Ravens was reported to suffer from a ‘minor’ soft tissue injury which put him out of commission for one week.
“And that’s where they’ve got to do a good job of communicating to us. … And so the first goal for those guys is let’s check the box on them feeling like they can really open up, no restrictions. I don’t know if you ever really feel great at any point moving forward, especially at running back, but we want to be smart with that,” McVay added.
The cautious approach is due to the Rams’ training style. The team has very intense practice sessions and the Rams don’t want to interrupt the other member’s practice sessions or further injure Akers or Henderson. Any unnecessary risk could end up delaying their recovery even more, which would put the Rams in a worse position.
“When we go, we’ve got to practice full speed. We can’t just get out there and be three-quarters and tempo it. That’s not how we get better.”
Side effects of the injuries
It isn’t all bad for the Rams, however, Kyren Williams who recently returned from the physically unable to perform list can practice as there are more slots and space. Williams broke his foot during the offseason program and was unable to play in the preseason as a result.
“You want those guys out here, but it’s allowing Kyren Williams to get reps, and Jake Funk, that they wouldn’t get otherwise,” McVay said.
Funk primarily played on special teams last season and has six carriers for 16 yards in the last game he played.
Besides Akers and Henderson, the Rams have Travin Howard and Quentin Lake listed as unable to perform due to injury on their official website. The team still has a number of powerhouse players to call upon and practice with such as Allen Robinson II, Austin Trammell, and Jalen Ramsey.
While the Rams have had to adjust their training and strategy for the upcoming season, it is clear that they are still out to compete and do the best they can. The Rams are currently the second highest team on ESPN’s NFL power rankings.