Aaron Donald's sprained ankle is Rams' next crushing injury

GREG BEACHAM
·4 min read

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Even Aaron Donald is not immune to the injury bug that has consumed the Los Angeles Rams' season.

The seven-time All-Pro defensive tackle sprained his ankle Sunday in Los Angeles' fifth consecutive loss, coach Sean McVay said Monday. The Rams believe the injury is a high ankle sprain, which often requires multiple weeks of recovery.

Donald may be forced to miss a game due to injury for the first time in his nine-year NFL career, potentially adding him to the crushing list of injured Rams including Matthew Stafford, receivers Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson, defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson and most of the offensive line.

“He's still meeting with the doctors and getting the necessary scans,” McVay said of Donald. “On Wednesday, when we reconvene, I'll have a little bit more information.”

Donald has played in 86 consecutive games, including 10 playoff contests, for the Rams since 2017. He has missed only two games in his nine-year career, sitting out the Rams' 2017 season opener right after his contract holdout ended and then sitting out the regular season finale to rest for the playoffs.

Donald even played through torn rib cartilage in the playoffs two seasons ago, but the Rams don't appear to be getting anywhere near the postseason this year. Their 26-10 loss at Kansas City on Sunday was their fifth straight, matching the 1987 New York Giants for the worst 11-game start to the following season by a Super Bowl champion.

“We are trying to compete to get the results that we want, but man, it certainly has been something that I don’t think anybody could have ever predicted,” McVay said. “I mean, when it rains, it pours.”

After managing just 198 yards in Kansas City, the Rams' offense has dropped to 31st in the NFL with 279.8 yards per game, less than a full yard ahead of last-place Houston for the league's least productive unit. Third-string quarterback Bryce Perkins passed for 100 yards and ran for 44 in his NFL debut, but the Rams scored only three points on their first five full drives before Perkins threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter.

McVay said he doesn't know whether Perkins or second-stringer John Wolford will play Sunday against Seattle, indicating he might use both quarterbacks.

Stafford hasn't been officially shut down for the season yet, and neither has Kupp nor Donald. McVay claimed the Rams aren't ready to make the decision to preserve their top talents for 2023 until they know more about what's possible in the final six weeks.

“I think you've got to take each individual question,” McVay said. “I understand the question, but there's a lot of stuff that goes into these games, and as a competitor ... you want to be mindful of all the things that go into that, while also being smart.”

WHAT'S WORKING

The defense put in an outstanding effort against the powerhouse Chiefs, holding them to only 26 points and limiting Kansas City to one touchdown and four field goals in six red-zone trips by an offense that had scored TDs on more than 72% of its red-zone trips entering the game. The Chiefs ran 17 red-zone plays in the fourth quarter and didn't score a TD.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The injury-plagued offensive line needs help that's no longer available. Rookie seventh-round pick A.J. Arcuri made his NFL debut as the Rams' fourth starting left tackle of the season, and he was frequently overwhelmed by the Chiefs' rush. Veteran in-season signee Matt Skura also didn't excel at left guard. The Rams can't function without a functioning line, but McVay said there's a chance center Brian Allen could return from his thumb injury this week.

STOCK UP

The inept rushing game is showing signs of improvement over the past two weeks, although Perkins gave it the biggest boost with his legs, adding a dimension the Rams didn't have earlier this season. Rookie Kyren Williams led the Rams with 11 carries in Kansas City, but managed just 35 yards.

STOCK DOWN

McVay jokingly said he's “limited for the rest of the week” after getting clocked in the jaw and shoulder from the blind side by rookie tight end Roger Carter, who was running onto the field during his NFL debut. “He's a great kid,” McVay said with a smile. “He didn't mean to. He apologized to me. When you slow-mo it, it looks a lot worse than what it was.”

INJURED

LB Terrell Lewis has a bulging disk in his back that limited his mobility against the Chiefs. ... Rookie WR Lance McCutcheon sprained a ligament in his knee.

KEY NUMBER

2011 — The last time the Rams started a season worse than 3-8. General manager Les Snead took over the following season.

NEXT STEPS

Two home games in five days, starting with their first meeting of the season with the Seahawks. Los Angeles has won eight of 10 over Seattle, but the Rams are significant home underdogs.

___

AP NFL: https:/apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Ethics investigators asking about Matt Gaetz’s alleged drug use, report says

    Panel has obtained sworn written statement from female witness to party in Florida. Mr Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing

  • Civilian employees vote to return to work at eastern Ontario military facilities

    The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) says striking civilian staff at military facilities in Kingston, Ottawa and Petawawa have accepted a deal to return to work, while staff at bases in Bagotville, Montreal–St-Jean and Valcartier voted it down and will remain off the job.Nearly 500 civilian employees across these locations took to the picket lines in mid-January seeking higher pay among other demands.According to their union, the workers support Canada's military members in areas such as

  • IMF committee acknowledges conflicts risk but opts against joint communique

    The International Monetary Fund's steering committee failed to issue a joint communique on Friday amid disagreements over wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, opting instead for a statement from the body's chair that acknowledged the economic risks posed by the conflicts. International Monetary and Financial Committee "members discussed the global macroeconomic and financial impact of current wars and conflicts including the war in Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as well as the shipping disruptions in the Red Sea," Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan, the body's chair, said in a statement.

  • Police open investigation into American Idol star Mandisa’s death aged 47

    Singer’s cause of death is not yet known

  • SAP SE (SAP) Stock Price Increased Significantly in Q1

    Polen Capital, an investment management company, released its “Polen Global Growth Strategy” first-quarter 2024 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the first quarter, the fund increased 8.10% gross and 7.81% net, respectively, trailing the MSCI ACW Index’s 8.20% return. The market dynamics that were in place at the end […]

  • RFK Jr’s environmental colleagues beg him to drop presidential campaign after Kennedy family endorses Biden

    The scathing letter refers to Robert F Kennedy Jr as a ‘dangerous conspiracy theorist’ and ‘science denier’

  • Trump media shares gain as it alerts Nasdaq of 'potential market manipulation'

    Trump Media & Technology Group has alerted the CEO of Nasdaq of "potential market manipulation" in its shares, it disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "Data made available to us indicate that just four market participants have been responsible for over 60% of the extraordinary volume of DJT shares traded: Citadel Securities, Virtu Americas, G1 Execution Services and Jane Street Capital."

  • UPDATE 1-Apple's offer to open up tap-and-go tech to be approved by EU next month, sources say

    Apple's offer to open its tap-and-go mobile payments system to rivals is set to be approved by EU antitrust regulators as soon as next month after it tweaked some of the terms, people familiar with the matter said. Apple's bid to settle the four-year investigation would help it dodge a finding of wrongdoing and stave off a potential hefty fine that could be as much as 10% of its global annual turnover. Apple's tap-and-go technology called near-field communication, or NFC, allows for contactless payments with mobile wallets.

  • Playoff-less Penguins want to sign up Sidney Crosby long-term. Might be easy part of busy offseason

    PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins eventually became the team Kyle Dubas envisioned in his first season as the club's general manager/director of hockey operations. That evolution, however, came a touch too late for Sidney Crosby and company to make the playoffs. Pittsburgh's spirited 8-2-3 closing kick left it outside of the postseason looking in for a second straight year. That's simply not good enough, and Dubas knows it. “When things don’t turn out well, that falls on the person in my

  • Emma Raducanu vs Iga Swiatek LIVE: Updates and scores from Tennis Grand Prix quarter-finals in Stuttgart

    The 21-year-old Brit has returned to form but now faces the world No1 in the last eight of the Porsche Grand Prix

  • Liz Truss accused of using ‘fabricated’ Rothschild quote in new memoir

    Former PM’s publisher reportedly forced to apologise over use of ‘fabricated’ quote

  • Wall Street 'fear gauge' flashes as volatility dogs US stocks

    A cocktail of interest rate anxiety and geopolitical tensions is keeping U.S. stock investors defensive and driving Wall Street’s most closely watched volatility gauge to its highest level in half a year. With the S&P 500 down nearly 5% from its late March record closing high, the Cboe Volatility Index broke above 20 overnight as tensions between Iran and Israel escalated, its highest since late October. Often called Wall Street's "fear gauge," the VIX is an options-based measure of investor demand for protection against near-term stock swings.

  • Prince Harry wins latest High Court legal round against The Sun publisher

    But the Duke of Sussex could still follow in the footsteps of Hugh Grant and choose to settle out of court

  • Woman found dead at luxury Bagshot hotel as man arrested on suspicion of murder

    Body of woman in her 50s found at Pennyhill Park Hotel over weekend with murder suspect in police custody

  • Apple's offer to open up tap-and-go tech to be approved by EU next month, sources say

    Apple's offer to open its tap-and-go mobile payments system to rivals is set to be approved by EU antitrust regulators as soon as next month after it tweaked some of the terms, people familiar with the matter said. Apple's bid to settle the four-year investigation would help it dodge a finding of wrongdoing and stave off a potential hefty fine that could be as much as 10% of its global annual turnover. Apple's tap-and-go technology called near-field communication, or NFC, allows for contactless payments with mobile wallets.

  • Melissa Barrera feels sense of closure with Scream character despite firing

    The In the Heights actress, who starred as Sam Carpenter in the fifth and sixth Scream films, was fired from Scream VII in November after the studio deemed some of her pro-Palestine social media posts to be antisemitic. Barrrera shared on Collider’s Ladies Night podcast that while she won't get to complete Sam's story with the seventh instalment, Barrera feels a sense of closure with her character's arc. “I feel I've gotten closure, yeah, my head is clear. I feel like the ending of (Scream) 6 was a very good ending…”

  • Bomb threat evacuates Louisville zoo

    The zoo has been given the all-clear after police said it appears to be a ‘false call’

  • Massive snow wall created as workers clear road to Mount Washington Observatory

    The road to the top of Mount Washington is being cleared, creating a massive wall of snow.

  • US House advances $95 billion Ukraine-Israel package toward Saturday vote

    The U.S. House of Representatives advanced a $95 billion legislative package on Friday providing aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific in a broad bipartisan vote, overcoming hardline Republican opposition that had held it up for months. Friday's procedural vote, which passed 316-94 with more support from Democrats than the Republicans who hold a narrow majority, advanced a package similar to a measure that passed the Democratic-majority Senate in February. Democratic President Joe Biden, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell and top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries had been pushing for a House vote since then.

  • Streaming: Are consumers fed up with subscription costs yet?

    Streaming services have raised subscriptions costs in recent years with a potential for prices to keep increasing down the line. With inflation making its way through consumer goods and services, how are consumers feeling about these price increases? Will they continue to opt in to select services or should streaming companies like Amazon Prime Video (AMZN) be worried? D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Marketing Koen Pauwels joins Wealth! to give insight into how consumers are reacting to rising subscription costs from streaming providers.  "If you're the kind of consumer who is relatively price insensitive and you don't want to be bothered with ads and you want all of your shows to be on one kind of data provider so you don't have to lose the time to figure out which show is where, then you're going to settle [and] select for this ad-free tier," Pauwels points out, "which also means that Netflix (NFLX) can continue raising prices on that one because their pool of consumers choosing for this non-ad service is going to be more restricted, more selective who don't care about prices that much." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth! This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino