The Los Angeles Rams' 2024 NFL season is off to a rocky start as they find themselves winless after two weeks. Head coach Sean McVay is grappling with a host of injuries that have derailed the team's early momentum and raised concerns about their future prospects.
Injury Woes Pile Up
The Rams' injury list reads like a nightmare for any coach. Key wide receiver Cooper Kupp is sidelined with a left ankle sprain, adding to his injury history after a similar ankle issue in 2022 that required season-ending surgery. Adding to the team’s woes are shoulder injuries to guard Jonah Jackson and safety John Johnson III, both of whom are nursing ailments severe enough to make them candidates for the injured reserve list.
McVay has been candid about the difficulties this season, noting, "The amount of moving parts that we've had offensive line-wise has been wild." The offensive line's instability has had a tangible impact on quarterback Matthew Stafford’s performance. In the latest loss against the Arizona Cardinals, Stafford threw for 216 yards but also lost a fumble after being sacked five times. His average time to throw in Week 2 was 3.25 seconds, the fifth-longest in the league for that week, indicating ongoing protection issues.
Quarterback Challenges
Stafford’s recent form is overshadowed by his lingering injuries from the previous season. The quarterback missed the latter half of the 2022 season with a spinal cord contusion and concussion, raising questions about his durability. Coupled with Aaron Donald's retirement, which has impacted the defensive front seven, the Rams are finding it challenging to replicate their past successes.
The defense is putting a lot of expectations on rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, who were first and second-round picks in the 2024 draft. However, the squad also suffers from absences, with corners Darious Williams and Derion Kendrick currently on injured reserve.
From Fortunate to Fraught
The Rams’ slide into injury chaos is stark, given their relative good fortune last season, when they had the fourth-fewest injuries on offense and the fewest on defense. This season, McVay concedes, "We're kind of running out of those [injured reserve] spots and we're only into Week 3 in terms of the return to play, but that is a possibility for all of those guys." This brutal turn of events highlights how volatile the fortunes of NFL teams can be.
Sports analyst Frank Schwab points out, "It went from 146.6 AGL in 2022 to 26.4 last season, which is an incredible shift and shows how injury luck often has no rhyme or reason." The Rams, who previously had the fewest adjusted games lost due to injury, now face a sobering reality. The team is struggling to keep its core players fit and productive, jeopardizing any hope for a rebound this season.
Future Draft Prospects
As the Rams confront immediate challenges, they also have to consider their long-term strategy. The franchise holds its own first, third, fourth, and sixth-round picks for the 2025 draft, along with additional sixth-round picks from the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans. Injuries and early-season performance will likely influence their draft priorities as they seek to rebuild.
Indeed, the situation is dire: no NFL team starting a year 0-3 has ever won a Super Bowl. This discouraging historical precedent adds to already mounting pressures. Fair or not, the Rams’ remarkable run of injury luck last season didn't carry over into this one, making regression a genuine concern. "One tangible reason to worry about Rams regression is their injury luck last season," Schwab observes.
As the season progresses, McVay and his coaching staff will need to make critical adjustments and hope for an improvement in their players’ health. Navigating this maze of injuries and uncertainties will be a true test of their strategic acumen and resilience.