Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (right elbow) had full participation on Wednesday.
Stafford went on the injury report with his injury a week ago, but he played all 75 offensive snaps in Sunday’s win over the Commanders.
Outside linebacker Myles Garrett (knee) was limited after playing 37 of 62 defensive snaps in his return Sunday, when he had three sacks. He had not played since Week 1 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee the following week.
Offensive lineman Steve Avila (hamstring), wide receiver Puka Nacua (knee/toe), cornerback Trent McDuffie (back), safety Kam Curl (toe) and tight end Terrance Ferguson (ankle/hamstring) did not practice.
Tight end Davis Allen (oblique), tight end Colby Parkinson (ribs) and long snapper Joe Cardona (ankle) were limited.
Rams Clips
The Rams have experienced a bevy of injuries so far this season.
One consequence of that is the team’s slots for players to return from injured reserve are getting fewer and fewer.
That’s part of why, even though Puka Nacua is slated to miss several weeks with a knee injury, he’s not going to be placed on IR for now.
Via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press, head coach Sean McVay told reporters on Wednesday that “roster semantics” will keep Nacua on the 53.
He’s still going to be out for a significant period of time,” McVay said.
Nacua is currently dealing with sprains to two ligaments in his knee and turf toe.
But help is on the way for the Rams’ receiving corps, with Davante Adams potentially returning for the Week 13 matchup against the Chiefs.
Help is on the way for the Rams receiving corps, but the club likely still has to get through the rest of the month.
Head coach Sean McVay told reporters in his Wednesday news conference that Davante Adams could return after the team plays Green Bay in Week 12. That would put Adams on track for the Thursday night matchup against the Chiefs in Week 13.
“We’re optimistic Davante’s return is sooner than later, which is a big deal to us,” McVay said, via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press.
McVay added that he thinks Adams’ return after the Week 12 Wednesday contest against Green Bay “is a realistic timeline for us.”
The Rams will play the Cardinals on Sunday before an abbreviated Week 11 bye. They’ll host the Packers on Wednesday night in Week 12 for the league’s first “Thanksgiving Eve” game.
Adams has been sidelined since suffering his hamstring injury in the Oct. 18 loss to the Cardinals. He’s caught 30 passes for 480 yards with four touchdowns so far in 2026.
Adams’ absence is further magnified by Puka Nacua suffering a knee injury late in Sunday’s win over the Commanders. Nacua will be out for an extended period of time.
As expected, Cardinals rookie Carson Beck will make his first start at quarterback on Sunday against the Rams after Gardner Minshew suffered an elbow injury that requires surgery last week.
Head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that he’s “real excited for Carson” to have this opportunity.
“Just go out and operate — go operate this offense and go play each play as its own,” LaFleur said of his message to the young QB. “Do what he’s been doing in practice. It’s just an extension of the practice field. Obviously, it’s live bullets and go operate. Go play this game.”
Beck has not yet made a regular-season appearance. But he did have an impressive preseason debut in the Hall of Fame game back in August before being sidelined by a rib injury.
LaFleur said he feels like Beck is ready to play.
“You never really know until you get to the live bullets on Sunday,” LaFleur said. “But just the way he goes about his business, whether it’s been from OTAs through training camp before he got hurt, obviously, seeing him operate there in that first half plus the one possession in the second half [of the Hall of Fame game].
“So, obviously we’ll know more come Sunday, but have all the confidence he’s ready to roll.”
The Rams entered the season as the overwhelming favorites to win the Super Bowl. As the dust settles on the NFL trade deadline, the Rams are now not even favored to make the playoffs.
The latest betting odds have the Rams as -130 favorites to miss the playoffs, and +110 underdogs to make the playoffs.
That represents a massive shift from before the season, when the Rams were -500 favorites to make the playoffs, the best playoff odds of any team in the league.
The Rams are a disappointing 5-4, and if the playoffs started today they’d be a game behind the Packers for the third and final NFC playoff spot. They’re also 2.5 games behind the 49ers in the NFC West race.
Perhaps more importantly, injuries are mounting for the Rams, with the latest big one being that wide receiver Puka Nacua is heading to injured reserve, where he’ll join Davante Adams, as Matthew Stafford is running out of healthy receivers.
If the Rams get healthy and make the playoffs, they’ll be a major threat to any postseason opponent, which is why they still have the seventh-best odds in the league to win the Super Bowl at +1300.
But as the 49ers pull away in the NFC West, and the NFC wild card race looks increasingly competitive, the Rams’ chances of being in it in January are dwindling.
The Rams did not bring in a receiver via trade before the deadline, but they have acquired one who knows their system.
Los Angeles announced on Tuesday that the club has signed Xavier Smith off of San Francisco’s practice squad.
The Rams previously let go of Smith earlier in the season. He had been serving as the team’s primary returner with poor results.
Last season, Smith appeared in 16 games for the Rams, catching 18 passes for 303 yards.
L.A. needs depth at receiver with both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams on injured reserve and Jordan Whittington also being placed on IR as a corresponding move to add Smith. Tight end Terrance Ferguson is also dealing with a hamstring injury, further limiting the team’s pass catchers.
The Vikings’ quarterback situation has been a rollercoaster with more lows than highs since Kirk Cousins left for the Falcons and Sam Darnold left for the Seahawks.
They’re expected to make their next attempt at fixing the situation on Tuesday.
A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that the Vikings will trade for a quarterback before Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. ET deadline.
The options, per the source, are “Daniel Jones, Geno Smith, Mac Jones, Kirk Cousins, TBD surprise, TBD huge surprise, but it will be someone.”
Other possibilities mentioned by the source were Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston.
Whatever the Vikings do, it’s going to cost them. If they’d had a deal in place before Monday night’s game, it would have been cheaper. After last night’s debacle from Carson Wentz, teams will be putting their thumbs — and elbows — on the scale.
Regardless, they need to do something. If they don’t, 6-2 could become 6-11. And that would possibly result in a new coach in Minnesota come 2027.
In the categories of “surprise” and/or “huge surprise” would be (and this is just the throwing of a dart): Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford, and Sam Darnold.
The Jaguars have been bringing players in to fortify the roster for a deep postseason run.
They don’t intend to send one out.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports the Jaguars plan to keep receiver Brian Thomas Jr. — barring a surprise.
Thomas has been rumored to be on the trade block largely due to his lack of production this season. He’s received just 22 targets in eight games, catching 10 passes for 117 yards with two touchdowns.
The No. 23 overall pick of the 2024 draft, Thomas caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns as a rookie. But his production dipped even last year — the first season under head coach Liam Coen — with Thomas catching just 48 passes for 707 yards with two TDs.
Even with Fowler’s report, plans can change. If a team seriously needs a receiver and is willing to pony up, the Jaguars may change their mind about dealing Thomas before the 4 p.m. ET deadline.
Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson is the ultimate team player. And he’d ultimately never say publicly if he wanted to be traded to a new team.
Teams looking for a receiver should make the call.
Few players are untouchable, when it comes to a trade. And even if the Vikings would hang up the phone and not listen, teams that need a high-end pass-catcher should try.
The Rams currently are in a pickle, thanks to the placement of Puka Nacua on injured reserve, where he joins Davante Adams. The Chiefs could use help at the position, too.
Ditto for the Steelers, who (like the Chiefs and Commanders) have interest in Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Then there are the 49ers, who are always lurking when it comes to possibly making a big move.
Regardless, it makes sense to make the call. If the Vikings aren’t going to make a move for a functional quarterback, they should stockpile picks and give Jefferson a chance to chase the championship that won’t happen in Minnesota — especially if they waste his seventh season by not upgrading at the quarterback position.
Yes, a trade would come with a 2027 cap charge. The Vikings also would avoid the $30 million he’s due to make in 2027, and the upgrade to meet the increased market that he surely already wants.
At the end of the day, it’s one or the other. Trade for a better quarterback, or trade Jefferson to another team. Of the available options, doing neither makes the least sense.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is set to go on injured reserve after suffering MCL, PCL and turf toe injuries in Sunday’s win over the Commanders.
Nacua’s injuries occurred on the Rams’ final offensive play when he was tackled after rushing for five yards on third-and-11. Nacua took a handoff on the play and head coach Sean McVay was asked at a Monday press conference if he second-guessed himself for putting Nacua in position to take a hit at that point in the game.
McVay said he’s “kicking myself about those kinds of things” and called it something the Rams have to think about “internally” as they move forward.
“I’d be lying to you if I said I haven’t questioned the decision-making on that last play over and over in my head of what could have been another option that you felt like could have gotten a conversion, and maybe ended the game that would’ve led to him not taking a violent hit to his right knee,” McVay said. “It’s stuff that I feel tremendous responsibility for, and we’ve got to be able to figure out how to protect these guys while also putting them in positions that help our team and allow them to be able to shine. He’s a guy we have to be intentional about because it’s a bummer. Because he can do so much, you want to make sure you don’t take that for granted.”
With Nacua and Davante Adams now out for the indefinite future, the Rams may be in the market for receiving help before the trade deadline passes at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. They do not have their 2027 first- or third-round picks, their 2028 second-round pick or their 2029 third-round pick thanks to their trades for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie.
