The Los Angeles Rams announced that they have placed offensive lineman Jonah Jackson (shoulder) and defensive back John Johnson III (shoulder) on injured reserve. Additionally, the Rams have signed offensive linemen Justin Dedich to the active roster and defensive back Quindell Johnson as a practice squad exception.
Notably absent from this list is wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who injured his ankle in Week 2 and was a candidate to go on IR. Him avoiding that is a good sign, although the Rams are already reaching their IR and designated to return limit of eight for the season.
With Jackson and Johnson being placed on IR, they will miss at least the next four games although head coach Sean McVay does expect them to return at some point. The Rams next four games are against the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders with a Week 6 bye mixed in.
That will give them five weeks to get healthy while only missing four games. In the meantime, Logan Bruss will likely start at guard on the Rams’ banged up offensive line while rookie Kamren Kinchens should get more snaps at safety.
Even if he is not on IR, the expectation is still for Kupp to miss some time. With both him and Puka Nacua out, Matthew Stafford will be throwing to a group of receivers that includes Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington.
Dedich was originally an undrafted free agent out of USA and was most recently on the Rams practice squad. He appeared in 35 games in his Trojan tenure, starting 20 games (10 at right guard, 6 at left guard & 4 at center), which should help bring some versatility to the Rams offensive line room given all of their injuries.
Johnson was originally signed by the Rams in 2023 as an undrafted free agent before being waived and then picked up by the Chicago Bears for the 2023 season and start of this one. He appeared in 9 games and recorded one interception during the 2023 season. Given the injuries in the Rams’ secondary, he may get an opportunity at some point.
Rams kicker Joshua Karty also injured
The Rams are also dealing with injuries on special teams as kicker Joshua Karty hurt his groin in Week 2. While Sean McVay expects Karty to be able to play in Week 3, the team added another kicker in Tanner Brown to the practice squad just in case he isn’t ready to go.
