Kyren Williams had a “cast-like material” on his left ankle and was moving around on a scooter at the Los Angeles Rams’ practice Wednesday. He suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the Rams’ Sunday win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Head coach Sean McVay told reporters the running back will miss the Rams’ contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7. This was a marked turn from McVay’s initial report saying that the running back was expected to be OK.
“He was walking around,” McVay said Wednesday. “Had great [adrenaline]. The way his immediate check-up went afterwards was not in alignment with what some of the scans ended up revealing on the ankle sprain.”
For now, Williams is week to week, but McVay said the team is considering placing him on injured reserve. In six games, Williams rushed for 456 yards and six touchdowns on 97 carries, and added 105 receiving yards and a score on 13 receptions.
Los Angeles already placed No. 2 running back Ronnie Rivers on IR, and he’s expected to miss four to five weeks after he sprained a PCL against the Cardinals. The earliest he can return is Week 12.
While the team mulls IR for Williams, its lead back, there is optimism he can return after the team’s Week 10 bye, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The plan for the remaining backs on the roster remains to be seen.
Zach Evans is the presumed leader, with Royce Freeman being brought up from practice squad, and Myles Gaskin being signed off the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad on Tuesday. Even though Freeman has more pro experience than Evans — a 2023 sixth-round pick — the rookie was active for the last two games.
“Obviously you saw Zach Evans get the first carries [after Williams and Rivers exited],” McVay told ESPN on Monday. “We’ve got Royce Freeman on our practice squad, and there’ll be some different things that we’re in the midst of working through right now.”
