The Rams added some insurance at linebacker before Monday night’s matchup with the Giants, activating Elias Neal from the practice squad as injuries continue to hang over Omar Speights and Nate Landman.
That move gives Los Angeles another body in a position group that has already been tested this week. Landman was dealing with shoulder and thumb issues after the 49ers game, while Speights missed time in Week 1 with a hip pointer. Sean McVay said this week that the expectation was for Landman to play Monday night, and neither linebacker carried an injury designation on Saturday’s report, a sign both are likely to be active.
Even with that encouraging update, the Rams clearly wanted a little more security. Shaun Dolac stepped in for Speights last week after he exited the game, and Grant Stuard remains part of the mix, though his biggest value comes on special teams.
Neal is not a new face in the building. The Rams signed him in 2024 as an undrafted free agent, and he has spent most of his time on the practice squad while the team has continued developing him over the last two years. He’s shown some production in the preseason, piling up 22 tackles across his last three exhibitions, including seven this past summer.
Pro Football Focus gave Neal a 72.5 coverage grade, which ranked 28th among linebackers with at least 45 snaps. He also has some special teams work on his résumé, though only four of his snaps came there this preseason. He contributed on special teams in 2024 and 2025, and logged 23 special teams snaps during the regular season last year.
That likely remains his clearest path to the field against New York. The Rams probably won’t need Neal to do much beyond help on special teams and provide depth, but if they do have to call on him, he should at least be comfortable enough with the scheme to step in.
For Los Angeles, the bigger picture is the health of the linebacker room heading into a Monday night game that matters for the defense after a rough Week 1 showing. The Rams face the Giants on Monday Night Football at 5:20 p.m. PT.
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The bigger wrinkle is the absence of Myles Garrett, who is now on injured reserve and unavailable as the Rams try to sort out their early-season identity. The Giants, meanwhile, impressed in Week 1 enough to at least get attention, even if there is still skepticism about whether they belong in the NFC contenders conversation. For the Rams, this is the kind of game that can calm the noise quickly, but only if they show they can handle a rising opponent before the questions around them get any louder. [Read more 🡒]