Data proves Rams have dodged injury attrition better than anyone else

The road to the annual Super Bowl is not simply about the most talented NFL rosters. It's not even solely about the most effective coaches. While they play a part in the success of a team, they may not be the primary factor. Oftentimes, the team that hoists the Lombardi Trophy is the one that stays healthier than any other.

The Los Angeles Rams have been one of the healthiest teams in the NFL so far, per the latest report from Over the Cap.

Per OTC, Los Angeles has a mere $2.285 million APY contractual average committed to players on injury lists, the lowest in the league through five weeks. In contrast, the injury-plagued San Francisco 49ers have a whopping $97.618 million APY committed over that same span.

But keep in mind that the report is solely based on players on injured reserve (and other injury lists) and does not include the minor injuries that have benched starters like left guard Steve Avila, right tackle Rob Havenstein, tight end Tyler Higbee, and others.

But Los Angeles has just two players designated on IR.

Outside linebacker Keir Thomas was injured before the season began and will sit out the entire year on IR. Veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon suffered a broken collarbone and will hopefully return to the active roster in December.

For now, LA appears willing to hunker down and weather the storm until he returns.

Could a healthy Rams roster be a difference-maker this season?

Of course, any projections over the entirety of 2025 based on the first five games are fraught with challenges. But the impact of early-season injuries has already had an impact on the chances of some teams. The 1-4 Baltimore Ravens, thought to be a contender this season, are struggling to find wins this season. Those struggles are fueled by early-season injuries.

Thankfully, Los Angeles has managed to avoid the injury epidemic early in 2025. But it's not immune to injuries. In fact, LA may be more vulnerable to injuries as much of the offensive playmaking is routed almost entirely through a few players this season. That works well as long as health is not an issue. Still, burning through too few players amplifies the risks of injuries.

And so, the Rams have valid reasons to expand the number of playmakers in the offense. While it hasn't happened yet, it should be happening. The reason for involving more players on offense is to reduce the risk of injuries to playmakers for postseason competition.

And yet, as soon as a player is injured, backups are quickly promoted into key roles.

One way or another, LA will test the depth of its roster. It will either be through deliberate decisions early in the season. Or it may simply be forced upon the team later in the year.

As always, thanks for reading.

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