Aaron Donald’s return to the Rams has hit its first real snag.
Sean McVay said Wednesday that Donald will not play Sunday against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, keeping the 35-year-old out of a Week 4 matchup because of a back injury. McVay also ruled out tight end Terrance Ferguson and cornerback Jaylen Watson.
Donald has not practiced this week, and McVay told reporters he was feeling "a little sore."
The setback comes less than two weeks after Donald ended two years of retirement to rejoin Los Angeles before the season opener. He did not travel with the team to Australia for Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, but he has been on the field for the last two games.
In his first game back on "Monday Night Football," Donald logged three tackles, including one for a loss, while playing 33 snaps in a 28-6 win over the New York Giants. He followed that with a tackle and a quarterback hit in Sunday night’s 30-26 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Now, the Rams will have to get through their first stretch back without the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. For Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, that means one fewer heavyweight in the way, with Myles Garrett also still sidelined by a knee injury.
The absence is a significant test for a Rams defense that has been among the league’s best in yards allowed, giving up the NFL’s third-fewest at 272.7 per game behind the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets. But the unit also showed how much Donald matters when he was out in Melbourne, where the Rams gave up 5.9 yards per play in a 27-7 loss.
There is at least some good news for Los Angeles on the other side of the ball. McVay expects star receiver Puka Nacua to play after he missed the last two games with a hip injury.
The game kicks off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Rams Enter Eagles Test With A Sudden Special Teams Problem
The Rams head into their Week 4 matchup with the Eagles carrying the usual injury baggage, but the special teams picture changed in a hurry this week. Los Angeles put tight end Terrance Ferguson on injured reserve, waived punt returner Xavier Smith and promoted running back Dean Connors to the active roster, a set of moves that puts extra attention on how the Rams handle the kicking game going into a matchup that already has plenty of personnel questions on both sides.
Philadelphia is dealing with its own absences, including DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, but the Rams immediate concern is more basic: who handles returns and how cleanly the operation holds together. Those decisions tend to matter most when the games get tight, and with another short-week style test looming against a banged-up opponent, Los Angeles suddenly has one more area to sort out before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Just Watched A Massive Eagles Threat Suddenly Leave The Game
Saquon Barkleys afternoon against the Rams changed in an instant in Week 4, when the Eagles star suffered a right hamstring injury on a non-contact run and headed to the sideline. Barkley was listed as questionable to return after leaving the field favoring his leg, and Philadelphia had to quickly reshuffle its backfield with Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley stepping in.
For the Rams, the timing mattered as much as the injury itself. Barkley is the kind of player who can force an offense to stay on schedule and stress a defense every snap, so his exit immediately altered how the Eagles had to approach the rest of the game. Any setback involving a threat of that caliber is the sort of development a defense notices right away, even before the full impact becomes clear. [Read more 🡒]
Puka Nacuas Return Still Leaves Rams With One Big Concern
Puka Nacua was back on the field for the Rams in Week 4 against the Eagles after sitting out two games because of a pre-hernia injury that involved hip and groin soreness, a reminder of how careful Los Angeles has been trying to be with one of its most important receivers. Sean McVay has already clarified that Nacua does not have a full hernia, and the teams approach has been to manage the issue rather than push it.
Nacuas return mattered because he had already led the Rams in receptions and receiving yards in Week 1, and he still found a way to contribute against Philadelphia. The bigger concern now is less about whether he can play through it in the short term and more about how the Rams balance his value on the field with the risk of the injury lingering over the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]