Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed that tight end Johnny Mundt and running back Jake Funk will be placed on injured reserve and miss the rest of the 2021 NFL season.
Mundt tore his ACL while Funk suffered a torn hamstring during the 38-11 victory over the New York Giants in Week 6. The season has now come to an end for both players and the Rams are once again left in need for more depth at key positions.
McVay spoke on what it meant to lose Mundt and Funk so early in the season, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website:
“It’s a bummer for both of those guys,” McVay said. “Two losses on guys that have really done a nice job continuing to improve and we’ll have to have some guys to step up in those two players’ absences.”
Both players had largely taken on roles on social teams so far this year. Mundt has been a reserve player since arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2017 while Funk managed to crack the 53-man roster as a rookie this year.
The Rams still have a surplus of tight end options behind Tyler Higbee between Brycen Hopkins and Jacob Harris. They also have Kendall Blanton on their practice squad in the event that McVay feels the need to have four tight ends on the active roster.
Running back Sony Michel is also nursing a shoulder injury. Although McVay is still expecting to have his 1-2 punch available with Michel and Darrell Henderson, L.A. will need to seek out another option to shore up some more depth in the backfield.
The Rams are in the midst of a favorable three-game stretch featuring matchups against teams with just one win or less. This should give them some time to explore their options at both positions.
