The Los Angeles Rams’ Week 17 game against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium was flexed to Saturday, Dec. 28 at 5:15 p.m. PT. It will be televised locally on CBS and the NFL Network.
The matchup is part of an NFL tripleheader that will also see the Los Angeles Chargers face the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos take on the Cincinnati Bengals.
When the Rams’ 2024 schedule was first released, their final two games didn’t have dates or start times. Given L.A’s ascension to playoff contention, it makes sense that the league would want their divisional matchup with Arizona in the primetime slot.
The teams are only separated by one game in the NFC West standings and the Saturday Night Football matchup will undoubtedly have major playoff implications.
The Cardinals defeated the Rams, 41-10, in Week 2, but L.A. was short-handed then and will be looking for revenge against their NFC West rival.
The upcoming game will be the 96th overall meeting between the Rams and Cardinals. L.A. leads the series over Arizona with a 52-41-2 record, including two playoff matchups.
Fans attending the Week 17 game at SoFi Stadium will be treated to a halftime performance by Long Beach natives and reggae-punk/alternative rock trio Sublime, who became popular in the 1990s for their hit songs “Santeria” and “What I Got.”
Furthermore, fans in attendance will receive a Rams Royal rally towel upon entry and are encouraged to “Rep the Royal” as the team will be wearing their royal jerseys. Fans will also receive a six-can Rams cooler upon exit.
Could Aaron Donald return to the Rams?
The Rams’ recent surge has some wondering if future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald would consider coming out of retirement to join the team for the stretch run.
However, the likelihood of that happening is extremely slim. This is due to the NFL rule that players on the reserve/retired list are not eligible to return after Week 12.
Technically speaking, there is still a way for Donald to play on the Rams this season. The team would need to release and re-sign him to a new contract.
That would require Donald passing through waivers and it is highly likely that another team would claim him. He could let teams know that he would refuse to play for them, but that would take a lot of maneuvering.
Additionally, Rams head coach Sean McVay said he has not reached out to Donald to this point.
