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Lindsey ThiryESPN
THOUSAND OAKS, California – Uncertainty about the health of the Los Angeles Rams looms as they prepare for a playoff game in the Green Bay Packers.
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald has a rib injury, wide receiver Cooper Kupp has bursitis in his knee, quarterback John Wolford has a sting, and quarterback Jared Goff continues to recover from a thumb surgery he underwent December 28.
Rams coach Sean McVay on Sunday evening expressed optimism that Donald and Kupp could return for next Saturday’s game, but the quarterback’s situation remains unclear.
“I just want to be able to see their health,” said McVay Wolford and Goff. “That’s the first, and then we’ll just go a little bit further.”
McVay said he has not determined who will start against the Packers, nor has he indicated whether he was leaning in any particular direction.
Wolford started a second consecutive game on Saturday in a 30-20 wild-card playoff win with the Seattle Seahawks, but left 5:40 to play in the first quarter after a stinger.
Goff came into play – 12 days from surgery to fix a broken thumb on his throwing hand – and went for 155 yards and a touchdown. Afterwards, Goff said that he felt no pain in his thumb and that he was “very capable with what I am going on now,” despite being less than 100 percent healthy.
However, McVay said on Sunday that it was clear that Goff’s injured thumb was affecting his game, and the coach declined to speculate on who would start against the Packers if Goff’s recovery proceeded without any setback.
“I’m going to record it day by day. Yesterday it hit him; you’re watching the game,” McVay said of Goff. And so it might not have been painful, but it was something he had done a great job of fighting, ready to go; and there were some things that he can normally do that seemed like a factor. “
Wolford and Goff were the Rams’ only active quarterbacks against the Seahawks, but McVay said he might keep a third quarterback active against the Packers due to the circumstances.
As for Donald, who took up 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 do think if there’s one thing he’s going to do, he’s going to do everything he can to be ready to go.”
Donald sustained 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 game and did not return.
Kupp left the game in the fourth quarter, although McVay said his injury did not occur in a specific game.
“We’ll be watching a little bit for him that day to day and hopefully reduce that swelling and inflammation with the expectation and hope he’s ready to go,” McVay said.
McVay also said that left-wing guard David Edwards, who left the tilting track on Saturday in the second quarter, has Achilles tendonitis and will be attending daily. When he can’t play, Bobby Evans starts at the left guard.