THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams have lost cornerback Kayvon Webster for the remainder of this season, but they are otherwise in good shape heading into Sunday’s big road game against the division rival Seattle Seahawks.
Wide receiver Robert Woods and outside linebacker Connor Barwin, who have been absent in recent weeks, are expected to play. Offensive tackles Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein, both of whom exited Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles prematurely, are also expected to play.
Franchise cornerback Trumaine Johnson is not in the concussion protocol, Rams coach Sean McVay said. Johnson was evaluated for a concussion during the game and passed, but he remained out because of a stinger. Johnson is also expected to play, a big boost for a team that will be without its other starting corner.
Whitworth and Havenstein each had their ankles rolled up on, but actually suffered knee injuries. Whitworth got hurt in the first quarter, but returned for the second half. Havenstein was injured in the fourth quarter — giving way to Darrell Williams, who got beat around the edge by Eagles defensive end Chris Long, causing a key fumble by Rams quarterback Jared Goff — but returned for Los Angeles’ final series.
Whitworth “checked out good today” and Havenstein “was in good spirits,” McVay said, calling their prognosis “very positive.”
Barwin had surgery to repair a broken bone in his left forearm on Nov. 27 and missed the next two games, paving the way for Samson Ebukam. Woods suffered a sprained left shoulder late in the Rams’ Nov. 19 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and missed the next three weeks, paving the way for Josh Reynolds.
Barwin and Woods are “on track, unless there are any setbacks, to be able to play and be available for the Seattle game,” according to McVay.
Webster ruptured his right Achilles tendon during a noncontact play in Sunday’s first quarter, shortly after his first Rams interception, and was placed on injured reserve Monday. In an Instagram post, Webster revealed that he also spent the entire season playing through a “torn labrum/rotator” cuff in his shoulder.
McVay said it was an issue Webster was able to play through and that he would’ve had the shoulder surgically repaired after the season.
“It just continues to demonstrate the toughness that Kayvon embodies,” McVay said. “We love Kayvon. Hate it for him that he had to go out like that, but he’s meant a lot to this team.”