Injuries have plagued the Rams’ running backcourt throughout 2021, and they’ll likely do the same in 2022. With just over three weeks to go before the season begins, Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr., Los Angeles’ top two ball-handlers, are battling soft-tissue injuries with no timetable to return. That’s what coach Sean McVeigh told reporters on Monday, suggesting the team would be cautious in welcoming veterans back to practice ahead of the regular-season opener on Sept. 8.
According to ESPN, McVeigh says neither Akers nor Henderson will Back on the pitch until they’re “full steam ahead” and it’s not clear when it will be: “First goal for those guys, let’s put a tick on them and feel like they can really open up. No limit. I Don’t know if you feel really good at any point going forward, especially as a running back, but we want to be smart and go on, right off the bat.” 2020 team second-round pick, Akers missed one game, plus playoffs, last season at training camp After tearing the anterior Achilles tendon. With the 2021 trade-acquisition of Sony Michele signing with the Dolphins this spring, Akers is widely expected to be the Rams’ first choice this season. McVay himself recently named the Akers a front-runner in the extended running game, which has been the “focus” of the offense this summer. Henderson, who has started 21 games in the past two years, has his own injury history. All three seasons in the NFL ended with injuries coming off the bench. The 2019 third-rounder suffered a high ankle sprain in 2020 and an MCL sprain in late 2021, though he did return for the Rams to win the Super Bowl. He’s rushing for more than 600 yards each of the past two seasons and is expected to be the best addition to Axel’s backcourt. In the absence of Akers and Henderson, 2021 seventh-rounder Jack Fink will have plenty of carries in Rams practice. He appeared in 10 games as a rookie but didn’t record any touches as a running back, instead playing four times on special teams. Rookie fifth-rounder Karen Williams is also on the roster, but he was recently activated from a physically incapable roster and may not be suitable for the preseason due to a foot injury.
