The Rams got the result they wanted heading into Week 1: nearly everyone is ready to roll.
After spending the offseason managing injuries with extreme care, Los Angeles is set to open against the 49ers with almost a full deck. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was rested every other day at points during camp, while veterans like Davante Adams, Alaric Jackson, and Byron Young were also occasionally held out. More recently, Myles Garrett missed time because of knee swelling, and Puka Nacua was sidelined with a groin injury.
That picture has shifted in a hurry. Earlier this week, Garrett practiced on consecutive days for the first time since early in training camp, and Nacua was absent from the injury report entirely.
On Thursday, even with only a light practice on the schedule, the Rams listed Garrett as a full participant. Linebacker Grant Stuard and cornerback Jaylen Watson were also full participants. Stuard had been limited on Tuesday with a hamstring issue, while Watson had not practiced because of a toe injury.
The only Rams player out as Week 1 arrives is Aaron Donald, as the team continues working him back. There had been some speculation about whether Donald would face the 49ers, but Sean McVay said Tuesday that Donald would not travel to Australia.
Compared with the Rams, San Francisco’s injury situation is less tidy. Defensive lineman Alfred Collins was lost during Tuesday’s practice with a torn patella tendon.
There was also uncertainty around Nick Bosa and George Kittle, but both were removed from the injury report Thursday and are expected to play. The only 49ers player listed as questionable is defensive tackle Jalen Thompson.
For Los Angeles, the cautious summer approach appears to have done its job. Garrett is healthy enough to go, Nacua is clear, and outside of Donald, the Rams will have their starters available for a Week 1 NFC West matchup that matters right away.
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The Rams season opener against the 49ers took an early turn on a familiar kind of problem for Sean McVays offense: losing a tight end in the middle of the game. Davis Allen took a hard hit in the third quarter, was evaluated for a concussion and eventually carted off the field, leaving Los Angeles to sort through the rest of the day without one of its more useful options at the position.
Allens status was listed as questionable to return, and even if the setback proves temporary, it puts a little more weight on the depth chart heading into the next stretch. The Rams will need more from the other tight ends if Allen cant get back on the field soon, especially in an offense that likes to lean on that group for both protection and passing-game versatility. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Face A Brutal Pregame Swing Against San Francisco
The Rams pregame picture for Melbourne just got tougher on one side and a little more complicated on the other. San Francisco tight end George Kittle has been cleared and taken off the injury list, while Los Angeles will be without Aaron Donald, a notable absence for a defense that usually leans on him to change the games rhythm.
Kyle Shanahan has already said Kittle and Nick Bosa will have limited playing time as the 49ers ease them back from major injuries, which adds another layer to a matchup that was never going to be simple. For the Rams, the challenge is obvious enough: face a division rival on a long trip, with one of the leagues most disruptive defenders unavailable and San Francisco getting a key weapon back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald's Comeback Starts With A Rams Reality Fans Won't Love
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For a defense that has long leaned on Donald as its centerpiece, the wait is the reality fans were hoping to avoid, even if it was always part of the plan. Donald last played in the NFL in 2023, and the earliest expectation for his return is Week 2, leaving the Rams to navigate the opener without one of the most important players in franchise history. [Read more 🡒]