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Lindsey ThiryESPN
THOUSAND OAKS, California. There is uncertainty about the health of the Los Angeles Rams as they begin preparations for a divisional round playoff game for the Green Bay Packers.
Defensive attack Aaron Donald has a rib injury, wide receiver Cooper Kupp has a bursitis in his knee, quarterback John Wolford has an acute and quarterback Jared Goff continues to recover from the thumb surgery he suffered on the 28th. of December.
Rams coach Sean McVay expressed his optimism Sunday night so Donald and Kupp could return to next Saturday’s contest, but the quarterback’s situation is still unclear.
“I want to be able to see his health,” McVay, Wolford and Goff said. “That’s the first one, and we’ll go from there.”
McVay said he has not determined who will start against the Packers, and did not indicate if he was leaning in any direction.
Wolford started a second straight game Saturday in a 30-20 Wildcard victory over the Seattle Seahawks, but came out with 5:40 to play in the first quarter after suffering an attack.
Goff came into play, except for 12 days of surgery to repair a broken thumb on the throwing hand, and passed 155 yards and a touchdown. Then Goff said he felt no pain in his thumb and was “very capable with what I have now,” despite being less than 100% healthy.
However, McVay said Sunday it was clear Goff’s injured thumb was affecting his game and the coach refused to speculate on who would start against the Packers if Goff’s recovery continued to progress without any setbacks.
“I’m going to take it one day at a time. It affected him yesterday; you watched the game, he did,” McVay said of Goff. “And so it might not have been painful, but it was something that did a great job fighting, being ready; and there were some things that you’re normally able to execute and that seemed like a factor.”
Wolford and Goff were the only Rams quarterbacks active against the Seahawks, but McVay said that due to circumstances, he would possibly keep a third quarterback active against the Packers.
As for Donald, who recorded 13.5 sacks in the regular season and added two more against the Seahawks, McVay declined to provide details when asked about the severity of his rib injury.
“We’ll be smart with him all week,” McVay said. “But I think if there’s something he’s going to do, he’s going to do everything he can to be ready.”
Donald suffered the injury in the third quarter in Seattle when he hit quarterback Russell Wilson, who appeared to land on Donald’s ribs. Donald left the match and did not return.
Kupp left the game in the fourth quarter, although McVay said his injury did not occur in any specific play.
“We’re just going to keep track of that day to day for him and hopefully decrease the inflammation and inflammation in anticipation and hopefully get him ready,” McVay said.
McVay also said left guard David Edwards, who left Saturday’s incline in the second quarter, has Achilles tendinitis and will be there day in and day out. If he can’t play, Bobby Evans will start on the left guard.