The Los Angeles Rams come into training camp relatively healthy as they look to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
The Rams reported to UC Irvine as they normally do for camp where Sean McVay announced four players would not be joining them immediately as they went on the PUP list in Jalen Ramsey, Travin Howard, Kyren Williams and Quentin Lake. Ramsey is the biggest name on this list as he is recovering from AC joint sprains in both his shoulders, although it was later revealed that he would not hit PUP after all. Additionally, Howard’s injury was classified as non-football related so he wound up on the NFI list.
Howard suffered a groin injury while training off-site and McVay initially said he may need surgery. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Howard will indeed have surgery but has a chance to be ready for the start of the season:
#Rams LB Travin Howard, who landed on the PUP list with a groin injury, is scheduled to have core muscle surgery from noted sports hernia guru Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia early this week, sources say. Based on the timing, he has a solid chance to be ready for the season.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 23, 2022
Howard stepped up for the Rams when Ernest Jones was out with injury, and his biggest moment came in the 2022 NFC Championship Game where he came up with the interception on Jimmy Garoppolo to book Los Angeles’ ticket to Super Bowl LVI. However, after the Rams signed Bobby Wagner in free agency Howard immediately moved down to third on the depth chart, which presumably cut his playing time significantly.
With Howard on the PUP, this frees L.A. up to sign someone else to the roster in the meantime. Perhaps the Rams look for another inside linebacker until Howard is healthy, but either way they are set at the position with Wagner and Jones.
