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Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams has reportedly been diagnosed with a sprained ankle that is “expected to sideline him” for Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
He added that it is not considered a long-term issue.
Williams, 23, has been a revelation in the 2023 season for the Rams, rushing for 456 yards and six touchdowns while adding 13 catches for another 105 yards and a score. He lit up the Arizona Cardinals in a 26-9 win on Sunday, carrying 20 times for a career-high 158 yards and a score.
Quarterback Matt Stafford told reporters that the second-year running back’s performance pumped up the entire offense.
“I was so fired up stepping back into the huddle each time with a run play,” he said. “Those guys were loving it. I was loving it. It was fun. It wasn’t anything too tricky, just kind of line up and go play ball and I was proud of those guys for the way they played both in the pass game and the run game.”
While Williams was excellent, the offensive line was equally impressive. Per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, the running back “had 88 rushing yards before first contact on Sunday, the most by any Rams player since Cam Akers had 99 such rushing yards back in 2020, according to ESPN Stats & Information.”
Williams’ emergence this season made the aforementioned Akers expendable, leading to his trade to the Minnesota Vikings in September.
The Rams suddenly have depth issues at the position, however, with backup Ronnie Rivers reportedly suffering a Grade 3 PCL sprain that could sideline him for four to five weeks and warrant a trip to injured reserve, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
That leaves rookie Zach Evans and veteran Royce Freeman atop the depth chart in Los Angeles, at least for the moment.
Dave Kluge @DaveKluge
I was a fan of Zach Evans coming out of college, but he looked totally overwhelmed yesterday.
With Kyren Williams and Ronnie River both out, I wonder if there’s any chance the Rams kick the tires on Darrell Henderson, Leonard Fournette, Mike Davis, or another free agent vet. https://t.co/lovk3TXc3P
Still, Williams seemingly avoiding a long-term issue is good news for a Rams offense that has proven to be far more threatening with him on the field.
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