Darrell Henderson Jr: Is LA Rams running back’s time running out?

Gotta stay healthy

Darrell Henderson Jr. has ended the last three regular season’s on the injured reserve list. The LA Rams reaching Super Bowl LVI is why he did not finish all three seasons of his career on injured reserve. If he were the bell cow in the running game, that would offer some reason for leniency. Unfortunately, he has carried the football just 326 times and played just 947 offensive snaps. That is over the course of three NFL seasons.

For a team with aspirations to compete in and win future Super Bowls over the next few years, using a veteran minimum contract on a running back unavailable at the end of the season can prove to be a significant risk. We witnessed how the Rams offense struggled this past season with Henderson as the featured running back, despite his unavailability to practice.

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The timing of plays, of blocks, and of the entire offense, suffered. It was not until the Rams decided to go with the more dependable running back Sony Michel, that the Rams’ offense seemed to click on all cylinders.  The team was able to better prepare for the upcoming game because they practiced with the same running back who was playing in the game.

This year, Sony Michel made slightly more than the veteran minimum, but the other running backs were on rookie contracts. Michel was also able to handle the load with Akers and Henderson Jr.’s injuries., which a veteran back must do. Of course, the Rams will be welcoming back and looking for contributions from a number of players injured in 2021, including RB Jake Funk, RB Raymond Calais, and perhaps even RB Xavier Jones.