The Los Angeles Rams (5-6) were plagued with injuries since Week 1 and have struggled to return several of their key guys. Veteran captain offensive tackle Rob Havenstein and ninth-year tight end Tyler Higbee are on the rise as offensive players that will be returning to action sooner than later.
Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke to the media on Tuesday and was asked about both players and if there was a strong likelihood of playing this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints (4-7). He started with Havenstein, who has struggled all year to stay healthy with a nasty ankle injury.
“There is. I think he's trending towards that being more likely than less," McVay said regarding Havenstein. "We'll see how practice goes tomorrow, but that's the plan.”
Havenstein has missed the past three games dealing with that ankle injury that he hurt for the second time this season in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks on the road. He has been a major missing piece for the Rams' offensive line that has struggled of late. If he plays this week, it will be huge.
In Higbee's case, he has missed the entire season with a torn ACL that occurred in the Rams' Wild Card game against the Detroit Lions last season. Higbee caught and bobbled a pass and was drilled directly in the knee by a Lions defender that has sidelined him for almost a full year.
McVay said that Higbee has returned to practice this week, but his ability to play this week is still up in the air as he is just in his first week participating in team drills.
“I think that’d be presumptuous. He has made amazing progress," McVay said. "I think we want to get him out on the practice field. He provides such great leadership and such a great spark for us in a variety of ways. I don't know that this week would be the week that he would return, but for him to even be back out on the practice field and starting his clock is a real credit to him, to our medical staff, and just to the overall resolve and resilience of that individual who I have a lot of love and respect for.”
If the Rams are able to return both of these key offensive players sooner than later, it will be extremely pivotal for this team's success down the stretch. They will need to win at least four of their final six games to have any chance at a playoff. Havenstein and Higbee could play a major part in that.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams Receive Good Injury News For Multiple Key Players.