Sean McVay’s carefully worded update drops hidden clue about a fan favorite

Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay has a tough job at times. He’s tasked with sharing everything known about the team and its players, but more often than not, the information fans and media want simply isn’t available. Remarks about expectations, projections, or best guesses tend to transform from “probable” to “certain” the moment McVay utters them.

That unintended power of the press conference pulpit can be frustrating. Still, it gives McVay the ability to spotlight players in a positive way, updates fans might otherwise never hear. A perfect example is his most recent note on undrafted rookie Willie Lampkin IV, who suffered a knee/ankle injury in the second preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

It’s clear from Stu Jackson’s update that Lampkin won’t play in Game 3 of the preseason, a road matchup with the Cleveland Browns. And with competition fierce along the offensive line, missing reps is never ideal. But note the phrasing, “a few weeks.” The Rams have to trim the roster in less than one week, which suggests Lampkin is still very much in their plans.

Willie Lampkin is perfectly suited to become a future starter

Despite the depth along the offensive line as the team heads into the final stretch before the 2025 season, there’s still a real need for young linemen to stick, whether on the active roster or the practice squad. The projected five starters, plus Alaric Jackson, come in at the following ages:

• LT - DJ Humphries - age 31 | Alaric Jackson - age 27
• LG - Steve Avila - age 25
• C - Coleman Shelton - age 30
• RG - Kevin Dotson - age 28
• RT Rob Havenstein - age 33

At least three projected starters are already 30 or older, the age where most veterans hit the turning point of their careers and teams start focusing more on succession plans. By contrast, Lampkin is only 23, with plenty of time left before he even approaches the point where production begins to level off or decline.

He also passes the eye test. For most offensive linemen, no news is usually good news. But in this case, his dominating style of play makes him stand out, often resulting in multiple pancakes. He’s played so well that his preseason performance has already caught the eye of NFL analyst Brian Baldinger.

The NFL careers of most undrafted rookies end in a week. But the coaching staff didn’t say a week, they specifically said a few weeks, with a message hidden between the lines. Willie Lampkin is part of the team’s plans. That’s incredible news for Rams fans everywhere who already believe in his football future. As always, thanks for reading.

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