Now having lost five consecutive games and seven of their last eight, the hopes of a playoff run and Super Bowl title defense for the Los Angeles Rams are all but done. While there are some on-field issues hurting the Rams, probably the biggest issue for Sean McVay’s team is the injuries.
The offensive line has been completely decimated with the team being unable to build any chemistry up front due to the constant shuffling. Additionally, receiver Allen Robinson is now out for the season due to foot surgery and Cooper Kupp is on injured reserve, not to mention Matthew Stafford remains in concussion protocol. And now Aaron Donald could miss time as well.
According to Stu Jackson of TheRams.com, Donald looks to have suffered a high ankle sprain in the Week 12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs:
Rams head coach Sean McVay announced Monday that defensive lineman Aaron Donald sustained an ankle sprain in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.
McVay said Donald is still meeting with doctors and getting the necessary scans done, but it’s looking like a high ankle sprain based on what’s been communicated to McVay by the Rams medical staff.
McVay also added that it’s possible the team shuts down its stars in Donald, Kupp and Stafford due to their respective injuries.
Any time a season is going the way this Rams one is, the idea of shutting down injured stars is sure to come up. Especially when it comes to players like Donald, Stafford and Kupp, who are crucial to the future success of this team, not rushing them back and allowing them to rest up and completely heal is often the better long-term decision.
The Rams are currently dead last in the NFC West at 3-8 and, unfortunately, everything that could go wrong this year has done exactly that. Donald possibly missing games due to injury is simply the nail in the coffin as he has never done so in his career. In 2017 he sat out two contests, but one was the season opener due to a contract dispute, and the other was the finale when the Rams had the division sewn up.
This has turned into a lost season for the Rams and the team not having their first-round pick this year only makes things worse. There is always pride to play for, but risking any further injury to the stars of this team in games that won’t give them a chance to make a playoff run is likely the best move overall.
