Jaylen Watson was headed for one of those games that reminds everyone why the Rams handed him a three-year, $51 million deal this offseason. Then his night changed in a hurry.
The Los Angeles cornerback dislocated his shoulder in the second quarter of Sunday Night Football against Denver, leaving a game the Rams were controlling at the time. Watson had already made his presence felt early, breaking up a pair of Bo Nix passes - one of them nearly turning into an interception - and stopping J.K.
Dobbins for a two-yard loss on a first-quarter run. When he exited, the Rams were up 16-0.
By the end, they had watched the lead vanish in a 30-26 loss, and plenty of observers pointed to Watson’s departure as the moment Denver’s comeback found oxygen.
Watson was carted to the locker room and later seen in a sling. On Monday, Sean McVay said the injury is a dislocated shoulder, and while Watson is expected to miss this week, the Rams do not believe he’ll need injured reserve.
That puts his return window at no later than four weeks. Before getting hurt, he had been leading the Rams’ secondary with an 83.5 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus.
Dallas also took a hit in the secondary, with safety Jalen Thompson suffering a severe hamstring injury in the second quarter against Baltimore. Thompson’s leg got caught under Derrick Henry as he tried to make a tackle, and the result was ugly.
The Cowboys fell 31-28, and Thompson’s recovery is expected to take four to six weeks. He hasn’t been placed on injured reserve yet, but that seems likely.
The injury is especially frustrating for a 28-year-old defensive back because major hamstring problems carry a high re-injury risk. Thompson had been solid through his first two-and-a-half games in Dallas, piling up 17 tackles after spending his first seven seasons in Arizona.
He also landed a three-year, $33 million contract this offseason.
There was better news in Kansas City, where third-year safety Jaden Hicks kept making the most of his chance. With Chamarri Conner sidelined, Hicks made his third straight start and turned in another active performance in the Chiefs’ 24-10 win over Miami.
He finished with seven tackles and broke up a Malik Willis pass. Pro Football Focus has him at a 68.9 defensive grade on the season, with an 89.1 tackling mark standing out in particular.
Hicks did get hit with a $7,607 fine for his roughing-the-passer shot on Daniel Jones last week, with helmet-to-helmet contact likely the reason. Still, Andy Reid said Monday that Conner has a "pretty decent chance" to play this week, even if Hicks has already shown he can hold down a role. He has been a situational piece for Kansas City in all three of his seasons.
Elsewhere in the NFL Cougs roundup, linebacker Daiyan Henley put together a strong stat line in the Chargers’ 24-16 loss to Buffalo, finishing with 10 tackles, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. That was a season high in tackles, though he still hasn’t quite looked like himself early in the year.
For the Patriots, wide receiver Kyle Williams did not see much of a bump with the AJ Brown injury. In a 35-6 loss to Miami, he played just 35 percent of the snaps and caught one pass for 34 yards on three targets, which was his season high in targets.
Seattle right tackle Abraham Lucas held up reasonably well in the Seahawks’ 33-31 loss to Washington, earning a 63.6 game grade from PFF.
Carolina nickel Chau Smith-Wade may be slipping further out of the picture. He was a healthy scratch for the second straight week and has played only 19 snaps this season after starting six games last year.
Washington linebacker Frankie Luvu remains out with a groin strain, much to the disappointment of Coug fans who hoped to see him against Seattle. The Commanders won that game 33-31, and Luvu is now expected to be ready for London against Indianapolis.
The toughest headline may belong to Tennessee quarterback Cameron Ward, whose latest outing only added to the noise around him. In a 12-7 loss to the Giants in the rain, the former No. 1 overall pick threw for 181 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His record as a starter now sits at 3-16, and the talk about what Tennessee might do if it lands another top-five pick is only getting louder.
In Other News...
WSU Needs Its Running Backs To Matter Again Against Fresno State
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That need becomes even more obvious with the offense stalling on third down and giving the ball away at the wrong times, the kind of problems that put extra pressure on every possession. Fresno State gives the Cougars a chance to reset in front of a home crowd, and if Washington State is going to turn its offense back into something more balanced, the backs need to become a factor again before the game script starts to drift away from them. [Read more 🡒]
WSU Fans Have One Big Reason To Hate This New Hoops Schedule
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Still, one date stands out for reasons WSU fans probably wont love. The Pac-12 Tournament is set for March 9-13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which means the Cougars now have to map out the regular season with a long trip and a whole lot at stake hanging over the final stretch. For a team trying to make every home game count and survive a demanding conference schedule, that late-season setup is impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State's Pac-12 Opener Hinges On A Few Cougars Fixing Two Problems
Fresno State has opened the 2028 season looking like a team that can beat you in a couple different ways, with a defense that has been forcing mistakes and an offense capable of hitting quick-strike plays. That makes Saturdays Pac-12 opener a useful early test for Washington State, which will have to sort out a matchup that already appears to be shaped by a few key players, from Cougars quarterback Pinnick to defensive lineman Leaupepetele.
For Washington State, the bigger issue is less about the stage and more about the details. Fresno States turnover defense has been a problem for opponents, and the Cougars cannot afford to give away possessions if they want to control a game that could swing on one or two sequences. Add in the threat of Bulldogs running back Rayshon Luke and the expectation is clear enough: Washington State has to be cleaner with the football and sharper in a few individual battles just to give itself a real chance. [Read more 🡒]