The Los Angeles Rams have had an exciting and dramatic run to make it to Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. They’ve defeated two divisional rivals in the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers while also taking down the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tom Brady’s final NFL game.
Through it all, they’ve missed the contributions they had been getting from do-it-all wide receiver Robert Woods. Woods tore his ACL prior to the team’s Week 10 loss to the 49ers, and it was clear his presence was going to be sorely missed in L.A.
However, the Rams have fought through the loss of Woods — largely thanks to the production from Odell Beckham Jr. — and have made it all the way to the biggest game of the NFL season.
And while it might be tough for Woods to watch his team get to the Super Bowl without him being able to contribute, he has enjoyed every minute of the playoff experience, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN:
“I feel like recently I was able to overcome that feeling of like ‘Ah man, not being a part of it,'” Woods said. “I feel like the team has been really, really big on like ‘You’re a part of this, you’re a part of this, you’re a part of this.’ Initially, you’re fresh out of being injured, fresh out of surgery and you’re like ‘Man, I was just doing that a few weeks ago’ … But really, I feel like I was able to get past that and able to really enjoy this whole playoff experience.”
Woods also confirmed what many Rams players have already said, which is that he knows the impact he’s had on this team even though he hasn’t played in three months:
“Yeah, I didn’t play all 17, but I’m a part of this championship team,” Woods said. “Hopefully we win it, but there’s gonna be a stone in there for me, for my work. We all going to be a part of this. We’re all going to get a part of that ring whatever it is.”
Woods is undoubtedly a major part of what the Rams were able to do this season. L.A. went 7-2 in Woods’ nine games and he was an unmistakable force in the passing game and as a blocker in the run game.
If the Rams are able to complete their mission and defeat the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, it will in part be due to the standard Woods has set as a selfless player.
Beckham was very close to signing with Patriots
While there were a number of teams rumored to be interested in Beckham Jr. during his mid-season free agency, a surprise team was closer to signing him than anyone realized. During Super Bowl media availability, Beckham Jr. said he was very close to signing with the New England Patriots before ultimately choosing the Rams.
