Tomon Fox didn’t get much run in the Rams’ preseason opener against the Chiefs, but that quiet absence has turned him into a name worth tracking when Los Angeles lines up against the Saints on August 22.
Sean McVay said Monday that Fox missed the game because of “a family situation,” and the coach added that he’s looking forward to seeing him on the field in Game 2. For Rams fans trying to sort through the edge-rusher picture, that makes Fox one of the more interesting players to watch in New Orleans.
He may not be the favorite to claim a spot on the 53-man roster, but Fox is firmly in the mix for attention as the Rams evaluate depth behind Myles Garrett, Byron Young, and Josaiah Stewart. The team signed him in June to help offset the injury loss of Eddie Walls III, and at this stage he profiles as the kind of veteran who can matter if injuries hit or if the Rams decide to keep five edge defenders.
The obstacle in front of him is Desjuan Johnson. Johnson looks like the current front-runner for what appears to be the final spot in that group.
He has built a steady role on the back end of the defense, playing between 101 and 120 defensive snaps in each of his three seasons, and he’s piled up five sacks and five tackles for loss in his career. In 2025, he also picked up a part-time special-teams role, and he’s already been through six playoff games.
Fox brings a different kind of case. He’s a fifth-year veteran, which matters on a roster that’s clearly aiming big this season. With the Giants, he posted 45 tackles and two sacks while logging nearly 1,200 total snaps, split almost evenly between defense and special teams.
At 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds, he looks like a natural outside linebacker, though Johnson has the flexibility to move between defensive end and outside linebacker. Fox should be able to handle the edge-rushing part of the job and, at least in theory, drop into coverage too. Still, he only saw five targets over four seasons with the Giants, and in 2023 and 2025 he was used mainly on special teams.
Johnson may have done enough to strengthen his hold on a roster spot with his performance last week, but Fox still has a chance to show he belongs as the next man up. For Rams fans, August 22 against the Saints will be the first real look at him in Blue and Yellow.
In Other News...
Aaron Donald Just Put Rams Week 1 Plans In Doubt
Aaron Donalds return remains in limbo as the Rams move closer to a Week 1 trip to Australia, with the star defensive tackle still going through his process on a possible comeback. Sean McVay said Donald has continued to work through the situation, and the veteran has already completed two workouts with the team in August, keeping open the possibility that he could still rejoin the roster.
Even so, the uncertainty is hard to ignore this late in the calendar. NFL insider Mike Florio suggested Donald may not be there when the Rams open the season overseas, and with no final decision made, the team is left waiting on one of the biggest questions on its early schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Sean McVay Sent Rams Fans A Clear Message About Ty Simpson
Ty Simpsons first preseason outing with the Rams gave the team exactly the kind of glimpse coaches want in August: calm execution, efficient throws and a quarterback who looked comfortable working within the offense. Against mostly lower-tier defenders, Simpson handled the moment well enough to turn heads, completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns while showing the sort of poise that can make a backup quarterback conversation worth following.
Sean McVay made clear after the game that the performance was about more than just a clean stat line, pointing to Simpsons decision-making, timing, accuracy and footwork as reasons for the encouraging showing. Even with that praise, the Rams know one preseason game does not settle anything, and the real question now is whether Simpson can keep stacking those traits when the competition gets faster and the looks get tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Bubble Standouts Just Made Final Roster Cuts More Complicated
The Rams preseason win over the Chiefs gave a few fringe players a chance to turn heads at exactly the right time, and several of them did just that. Running back Dean Connors, tight end Mark Redman, receiver Brennan Presley and safety Nick Andersen all flashed in ways that are hard to ignore once roster decisions get serious, which is exactly what makes this stage of camp so tricky for coaches trying to sort out the back end of the roster.
Connors in particular added some urgency to the conversation with a performance that stood out among the group, while Redman, Presley and Andersen also put together outings that could keep them in the mix for a practice-squad role or draw attention elsewhere. The problem for all of them is the same: strong August tape does not always overcome crowded depth charts, and the Rams now have a more complicated final cutdown than they probably expected. [Read more 🡒]