The Los Angeles Rams narrowly missed out on a chance to advance to the NFC Divisional Round with a 24-23 loss to the Detroit Lions on Wild Card Weekend.
Head coach Sean McVay helped put the Rams in position for a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, but they were unable to convert and were forced to punt. One notable player missing from that Rams final drive was running back Kyren Williams.
Williams had a relatively quiet game for an All-Pro Second Team selection up to that point. Entering the final drive, Williams had 13 carries for 61 yards and one catch for nine yards. But Ronnie Rivers took all of the running back snaps on the final drive, as Williams had hurt his hand on the previous drive when the Rams kicked a field goal to cut the deficit to one point.
Unlike Tyler Higbee — who tore his ACL — there was less immediate clarity on what happened with Williams in the moment. But McVay has since revealed that Williams broke his hand, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:
#Rams coach Sean McVay tells reporters that RB Kyren Williams had surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 17, 2024
This leaves Williams with his second major injury of the 2023 season. He suffered a sprained ankle that held him out of four games during the regular season. However, that injury did not stop him from finishing with 1,144 rushing yards on the season, the third-highest total in the NFL. It also didn’t stop him from getting selected to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro Second Team.
And although surgery on a broken hand certainly appears to be a significant injury, this is not the type of injury that would hugely alter Williams’ offseason program. If all goes according to plan, Williams should be back on the field when the Rams begin training camp in the summer of 2024.
L.A. is going to need it, as Williams has cemented himself as a vital part of the team’s offensive attack and one of the main reasons for their success in 2023.
Sean McVay praises 2023 Rams
McVay had huge praise for this year’s iteration of the Rams given the way that they surprised nearly everyone to make a postseason run and finish within arms reach of the Divisional Round.
“Thought we had our chances, but I’m so proud of this football team,” McVay said after the loss. “You know the finality of it is still…it doesn’t totally resonate, but man did I learn a lot, and really appreciate this group. You know, they…they helped me find my way again, and how much I love this.”
