The Los Angeles Rams suffered a multitude of losses over the weekend, with Davante Adams, Poona Ford, and Kobie Turner suffering injuries that will require stints on injured reserve. Turner is considered a short-term absence, while Adams will be out for most of the season, if not all of it.
Ford is out for the rest of the year
after rupturing his triceps, as will newly signed kicker Blake Grupe. Grupe tore his ACL in his debut while making a tackle.With all their losses, here are three takeaways on what they mean for the Rams.
Nacua needs to be at his absolute best
Puka Nacua will be called upon even more with Adams being out for an estimated 6-10 weeks. In the last year of his deal, Nacua has found his form in recent weeks and is making the ultimate push to become the NFL's highest-paid
non-quarterback.
Not only will the pressure be on him to rise to the occasion, but he won't have Adams to draw some of the attention away from him. However, this is not the biggest issue for the star receiver. While his 2025 season was a statistical success, his story was focused on his off-field behavior and the news that came from it, including a lawsuit that claims Nacua bit a woman on New Year's Eve.
Nacua sought professional help for his issues, something many point to as the reason why he hasn't gotten extended yet, even though contemporary Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed his lucrative deal. This is where the Rams need him most. He is the locomotive to their offense, and if he can't perform, the Rams will be on the verge of disaster.
If he isn't available, for whatever reason, the team is doomed.
Williams to the rescue
Kyren Williams' usage reverted back to how it was to begin the season, having a more even split of carries with Blake Corum. Against the Cardinals, Williams has his fewest carries (10) this season, while his work in the pass game didn't have the same impact as in the past.
The reality that the Rams are struggling to accept, even after three years, is that their offensive success is tied to Williams' usage. His utilization impacts linebackers and safeties, giving Nacua and the tight ends the space to open up the pass game.
What is even more concerning is that Williams was coming off four straight stellar performances where his effectiveness and the overall effectiveness of the offense only increased with his usage. The fact remains that until Terrance Ferguson returns, Williams is the team's third-best pass catcher.
By no means should the Rams reduce Corum's usage, but if they wish to become effective at passing the ball again, they're going to need to utilize Williams' skills to stretch the defense in a way the opposition will respect – even if that means reverting to a quick passing attack that limits Matthew Stafford's ability to push the ball downfield.
The Rams are off to another slow start, and history shows Williams got them into the playoffs in 2023 and 2024. He will likely have to do it again.
The Rams' offseason strategy is coming back to bite them
Unless Ty Simpson can play receiver, the Rams' draft strategy remains a concern. Not only has the Myles Garrett trade failed to pay off, as Garrett has been sidelined with an injury, but the downside of the move has also come to fruition. By trading for Garrett and Trent McDuffie, the Rams put together a top-heavy roster that lacked depth in critical spots.
The offensive line, defensive line, and secondary have felt those issues, especially with Alaric Jackson's suspension. Ty Hamilton has to make a major jump after a disappointing rookie year. Tyler Davis is going to play a lot more snaps. Aaron Donald will be asked to do a lot.
The quote from McVay about not drafting Makai Lemon or Kenyon Sadiq is aging poorly. The Rams had the chance to snag a critical player in the early portions of the first round, a player that could provide needed depth now, while potentially blooming into a starter later.
They chose to invest in their future. They have yet to secure that elusive second title in the McVay era, but it's good to know they're ready for life after Stafford. Sure, without Simpson there's no Garrett, and thus, no Donald. But at this point, McDuffie, a first-round addition, and Jared Verse would likely secure a better record than 2-4. Verse's stats are down in Cleveland, but they're leading the division, while Los Angeles is in last place in the West.
Max Klare made a lot of sense to draft, and I'm sure Keagen Trost was viewed as the perfect backup swing tackle. CJ Daniels and Tim Keenan III were late-round gambles. However, Daniels has yet to play and Keenan was cut. Klare and Trost should have easy routes towards the starting lineup, but Keenan is gone, and Daniels has to figure out a way to get snaps over Tutu Atwell, who barely gets any himself.
Outside of McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, the offseason additions haven't been impactful. Grant Stuard is doing his best, but the special teams as a whole are atrocious, so the narrative that they need an ace to get consistent is proven moot. What the Rams really need is real special teamers, not players who are plug-and-play-and-pray. At least Joe Cardona is a great long snapper.
Long story short, the Rams had a team on the verge of a title, and now they have a team on the verge of a top-five draft pick. That selection belongs to Cleveland, by the way.
I am also very confident Sadiq would be a star on the Rams. He's becoming a star on the New York Jets. The JETS.
Simpson better be Joe Namath. In winning, not statistical success.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 3 takeaways from Rams' rash of major injuries suffered in Week 6
