These 15 LA Rams are looking to return from games missed with injury in 2020

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These 15 LA Rams are looking to return from games missed with injury in 2020
We can’t see the future, but they had setbacks in the relatively recent past

By Kenneth Arthur@KennethArthuRS Jun 30, 2021, 3:03pm CDT

NFL: Los Angeles Rams Minicamp
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
In the NFL, injuries are unpredictable. And maybe just as often, they are unsurprising, especially with certain players. The LA Rams are set to once again be among the youngest teams in the league, even with players like Andrew Whitworth and DeSean Jackson in the fold, but can they be one of the healthiest?

If the Rams put forth a relatively healthy 2021 season, they could be relatively unstoppable. There are a number of players who are looking to return this season after missing time in 2020 and by adding these options into the mix on a consistent basis, Les Snead could get upgrades on the roster without always having to go out and find them in free agency, trades, and the draft.

These 15 players are looking to play 17-game regular season (and hopefully three or four postseason) games in the upcoming year. They’ll have to overcome these setbacks from 2020.

Andrew Whitworth, left tackle
# of 2020 games missed: 8

If Whitworth playing at age 39 wasn’t spectacular enough, then add onto that the fact that he returned from a torn MCL suffered in the middle of last season. Whitworth missed six games in 2008 and two games in 2013 and has stayed remarkably healthy throughout his career. Will there be lingering effects from his 2020 injury? He is a man of unprecedent times, so we will have to wait and find out.

Terrell Lewis, edge rusher
# of 2020 games missed: 9

Lewis is essentially the opposite case of Whitworth, having entered the NFL with significant injury concerns. Then he opened the season on NFI, went inactive for four games late in the year, and then only played eight snaps in the playoffs before getting hurt again.

Taylor Rapp, safety/linebacker
# of 2020 games missed: 9


Rapp was placed on injured reserve after Week 10, missing nine games, including playoffs. It was John Johnson’s injury the opened the door for Rapp to start in 2019, but he has yet to find his place on the defense. Safety has been an area of inconsistent health for Sean McVay.

Cam Akers, running back
# of 2020 games missed: 3

Injuries gave Akers a chance to start right away, but then he missed two games with a ribs injury. Then late in the year, after he had established himself as the main back, Akers missed another game with an ankle injury.

Darrell Henderson, running back
# of 2020 games missed: 2

Henderson could have also seized an opportunity to be a bellcow back early in the year, but that didn’t come to fruition, and then he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 17. That caused him to miss both of LA’s playoff games, which is also where Akers shined brightest.

Terrell Burgess, defensive back
# of 2020 games missed: 11

Similar to the situation at running back, it seemed like there was constantly some injury going on with the safeties. Burgess starred in training camp but wasn’t the right fit for the defense like Jordan Fuller was at the time. Now Burgess could start at safety or cornerback but he has to avoid the injury issues that hit him during his opportunities as a rookie. A broken ankle in Week 7 put Burgess on injured reserve.

Jordan Fuller, safety
# of 2020 games missed: 4

Fuller missed one game with a shoulder injury, then was placed on short term injured reserve, missing another three games. And the Rams weren’t quite as good without him. He was a play-maker almost every week and LA will hope to have him for a full 17 games from here on out.

Bobby Evans, guard
# of 2020 games missed: 4

David Edwards, guard
# of 2020 games missed: 1

LA’s continuity and depth at offensive line will be integral to the success of the offense. These players do not carry significant injury concerns, Evans missed three games on the COVID-19 reserve list and Edwards suffered an ankle sprain in the wild card win over Seattle. But there’s always caution at these positions: it seems that the Rams have consistently had to re-shuffle the guard positions early in the season, at least in the last couple of years.

Travin Howard, linebacker
# of 2020 games missed: 18

A favorite to start next to Micah Kiser at inside linebacker in 2020, Howard missed the entire season with a torn meniscus. He’s getting another opportunity in 2021 and the door is wide open for anybody to step up and claim a linebacker job next to Leonard Floyd.

Micah Kiser, linebacker
# of 2020 games missed: 7


Speaking of which, Kiser missed Week 5, then went on IR in Week 12, missing another six games. When he returned for the postseason, it was only on special teams.

Cooper Kupp, wide receiver
# of 2020 games missed: 2

Kupp missed one game on the COVID-19 list, but then missed the playoff loss to the Packers as well with a knee injury. Kupp has somewhat of an injury history, so depth was important for McVay this offseason and clearly that’s what LA has now at receiver.

DeSean Jackson, wide receiver
# of 2020 games missed: 9

Jackson has missed 24 of the last 32 games, as well as another four games lost to injury in 2018 with the Buccaneers. That’s 28 games in three years, but everyone claims he is healthy now.

Joseph Noteboom, offensive line
# of 2020 games missed: 6

After missing 10 games in 2019, Noteboom went back on IR and missed another six in 2020 with a calf injury, returning in time to replace Whitworth in the second half of the year.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, outside linebacker
# of 2020 games missed: 6

Okoronkwo missed all of 2018, then six games in 2019, then another six in 2020. With Samson Ebukam now playing for the 49ers, a healthy season by Okoronkwo should open the door for him to have a career year, but that’s a big “should”.

Did I miss anyone?