Los Angeles

Rams

Checking in on the star pass-rusher heading into the third preseason week, Garrett (knee) still has not practiced since early August. He is experiencing swelling in his knee and head coach Sean McVay continues to downplay his absence. It’s possible this is just veteran load management; we still expect Garrett to be ready for Week 1, though his absence is becoming more and more notable as the season inches closer.

Another blurb brought to you by the idea of: “Probably nothing, but...” We’ll monitor Ferguson’s status but expect him to be ready for the Rams’ Week 1 opener in Australia.

“If there was concern over whether Adams still had it as a perimeter wide receiver at age 33, this camp has put a lot of those questions to rest,” Atkins said, adding Adams had retained his otherworldly connection with Matthew Stafford. “Adams looks fresh and explosive, and he was virtually uncoverable in the joint practices against the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints.” Atkins conceded that the Rams “might have to get creative again with load management at times” to ensure Adams can get through a whole season without injuries. A whole training camp with Stafford — something he didn’t have in 2025 — could make Adams one of the sneakier wideout selections outside the first couple rounds of fantasy drafts.

Rookie Ty Simpson and 2023 fourth-rounder Stetson Bennett have both turned in solid performances in the team’s first two preseason games. Bennett drew the start in the first preseason game and has thrown for 219 scoreless yards on 37 attempts, while Simpson has thrown for 263-2-0, also on 37 attempts. McVay has already said that Simpson will “definitely” play in the team’s preseason finale against the Chargers, but didn’t commit to Bennett seeing snaps as well.

Rams coach Sean McVay devised the team’s three-tight end approach midseason last year, and per Atkins, those looks aren’t going anywhere. Ferguson is lining up all over the formation in training camp, taking reps at F, Z, Y and X. The Rams also plan to get the ball to Ferguson “quickly” near the line of scrimmage this year, after asking him to function purely as a big-bodied field stretcher as a rookie. This aspect is key to unlocking his ceiling outcome. Ferguson averaged 9.0 yards after the catch in his final college season, leading all FBS tight ends with at least 45 targets. He is a TE2 with TE1 upside.

Simpson sat the entire first half of Saturday’s game and didn’t get on the field until midway through the third quarter, thanks to a long opening drive by the Saints after halftime that ended in a pick-six by the Rams’ defense that immediately gave the ball back to New Orleans. In the 34-0 win, Simpson wasn’t asked to do too much. He dropped back to pass on 14 of his 26 offensive snaps and stuck mostly to short completions, as only three of his attempts on the day traveled 10 or more air yards. Both Simpson and Stetson Bennett, who started this game, will see extensive work in next week’s game against the Chargers before the real games begin in Week 1 with the Rams playing “host” to the 49ers in Australia.

The Rams have now hosted Donald for two workouts in recent weeks. McVay believes there will be more. Donald is reportedly “feeling good” right now, but there doesn’t seem to be a lean one way or the other. With the regular season opener fast approaching, one assumes a decision will come in the next two or so weeks.

We try not to go daily with training camp injuries, but Nacua has now missed the Rams’ entire slate of Saints sessions. Coach Sean McVay had previously said he would return this week. That still does not suggest anything other than standard summer caution, but it’s of course worth noting. For now there is no reason to alter course when it comes to selecting Nacua in the first round of fantasy drafts.

Nacua is entering the final year of his contract. Atkins writes that it is only a matter of time before “Nacua lands a monstrous extension,” but whether it comes from the Rams or another team, presumably via free agency or a trade, remains a question. Both the team and player reportedly “hope” that Nacua remains a Ram long term, and the team is “encouraged by some of the steps he’s taken this offseason.” The superstar wide receiver still has a civil suit that must be dealt with and the league has not yet clarified whether it intends to suspend him. For now, Nacua is a member of the Rams’ explosive offense and can be treated as a locked-in WR1, albeit with some suspension risk.

Nacua suffered a groin injury nearly a week ago and is still dealing with soreness. McVay said last week that he expects Nacua to return sometime this week, but the starting receiver was not on the field during Monday’s practice. McVay didn’t say which day he expects Nacua to be back, noting that the team prefers to “err on the side of caution” with soft-tissue injuries.