The Los Angeles Rams are set to play their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers, this week. And for the Rams, a winless Chargers opponent serves as the perfect opportunity to get back to .500 on the year.
That task got a whole lot easier as Matthew Stafford and the offense will not have to deal with one of the best defensive backs in football. The Athletic's Noah Furtado reports that All-Pro safety Derwin James, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, suffered a setback in his recovery and is now a candidate to be put on injured reserve. That would cause him to miss the next four games.
S Derwin James (hamstring) had a setback and is considered an IR candidate, Harbaugh said. WR Ladd McConkey (concussion) and WR Tre' Harris (hamstring) expected
to practice. LG Kayode Awosika (fibula), WR Brenen Thompson (quad) and CB Deane Leonard (concussion) won't practice.
— Noah Furtado (@bynoahfurtado) October 28, 2026
James hasn't played since the Chargers' Week 3 contest against the Buffalo Bills. In his first three games, he recorded 12 total tackles and one pass deflection.
The Chargers have allowed opponents to score at least 22 points in every contest this season, while they've only scored more than 22 points once. The Rams have scored over 22 points in five of their seven games, exceeding the 30-point mark twice in their last three games.
The Chargers are coming off a bye, while the Rams took care of the Las Vegas Raiders 35-21 last week. Considering the Rams' heavy use of 13 personnel, the Chargers will have even more matchup issues to figure out. It's a major advantage for Sean McVay and company.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams likely to dodge Derwin James after Chargers star suffers setback
