Ernest Jones injury history and updates

When the LA Rams drafted South Carolina inside linebacker Ernest Jones, they had one thing in mind. The team wanted to jumpstart the talent level placed in the heart of the defense. Throughout the 2020 NFL season, opposing offenses found success hammering the heart of the Rams with runs and passes designed to keep the inside linebackers confused and on their heels.

If you need an example, look no further than the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs after the 2020 NFL season.  It was clear that the defense needed to improve in the middle.  And that placed Jones in their sights with the 103rd pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Jones had solid size and power for the role, which was a prerequisite for the Rams selection process. But what sold the Rams on the player was the innate ability to see, process, diagnose, and respond to what he saw the offense throw at him.   But he needed time to develop.

By Week 6, he began to seem a larger role rotating in for the team’s defense. By Week 8, he had assumed the starting role for the LA Rams, and started seven games on defense before suffering an injury.

Ernest Jones injury history

Ernest Jones, high ankle sprain, 2021

Even as inside linebacker Ernest Jones was beginning to make his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball, disaster struck when he suffered an injury in the first quarter in Week 16 in a road game against the Minnesota Vikings and did not return.

Post-game reports indicated that Jones had suffered a high-ankle sprain that would require surgery. No timetables were immediately established for his return. After three weeks had passed, Rams head coach Sean McVay indicated that it was a possibility that Jones could return in time to suit up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Thursday, January 20, 2022, the LA Rams have officially designated ILB Ernest Jones for return. That means that he is medically clear to return to the active roster. The team has 21 days to move him to the 53-man roster, but with the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs looming, look for that to happen this week.

Divisional Round:

The LA Rams head coach Sean McVay reported that the return of ILB Ernest Jones is likely a week away and he will not be playing in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.

In order for the LA Rams to see Ernest Jones back on the football field, the team will need to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and advance to the NFC Championship Game.

Jan. 28, 2022 UPDATE

The LA Rams reported that Ernest Jones will be “good to go” in the NFC Championship Game. This is huge, as it will give the Rams a very talented inside linebacker to help stop the 49ers rushing offense.