LA Rams have more questions than answers over WR Van Jefferson now

The LA Rams are no strangers to injury or adversity. But wouldn’t it be nice for the team to clear the month of July before any questions or concerns begin to surround the status of one of the projected starting stars? Well, the team may have a developing situation with their projected third-year wide receiver Van Jefferson, who was reported to be absent from practice on Saturday, July 30, 2022.

LA Rams head coach Sean McVay did not have information to share, which is never a good sign:

Of course, Van Jefferson is just one of a number of players who had off-season surgery. And with the team playing late into the month of February 2022, rehabbing in time for the 2022 NFL season has been a bit of a challenge.

Rams roster rehabbin’

Jefferson discussed playing through a late-season knee injury, a knee injury that required an off-season procedure to clean it up. He rehabbed and by July 23, 2022, it sounded as though he was medically cleared to go. He’s not the only one, though. OLB Leonard Floyd, DB Jalen Ramsey, RB Cam Akers, TE/WR Jacob Harris, and more have had medical procedures that have impacted them in the off-season.

And so. there was not a great deal of concern. Players get injured. Players play injured. Players get medical intervention in the off-season to repair injuries. Players get medically cleared to return to football all the time.

But occasionally, those medical clearances are either premature, the rehab was incomplete, or the reason for the original injury remains, making that joint vulnerable to repeat injuries. While we know nothing at this point, the fact that Jefferson was absent just one week after discussing being medically cleared with a fully repaired knee sent the media all in the same direction.