A majority of Los Angeles Rams starters haven’t seen a single snap this preseason and it’s all by design.
ESPN noted Rams starters, such as Jared Goff and Todd Gurley, have sat on the sidelines in three consecutive preseason games. The sitting players are fine, so why are they sitting? L.A. coach Sean McVay doesn’t want to risk an injury.
“It’s an imperfect deal,” McVay said. “But this is the decision that we felt like we wanted to make.”
It might seem odd to bench starters, but McVay’s betting regular practice will suffice over real game situations for his vets. In 2017 alone, Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill and New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman were among players who missed the entire NFL season due to preseason injuries. McVay’s being cautious, and for good reason.
Barring an injury in practice, McVay’s Rams will enter the 2018 season with Goff, Gurley and other sitting vets healthy and ready to go in Week 1. It’s a new strategy, but one other teams should adopt. Nobody wants to see a team’s best player go down in the preseason. This way, Rams fans don’t.
