Sean McVay drops major injury clue that could swing Week 6 matchup

When it comes to the 3-2 Los Angeles Rams offensive line, fans know that continuity is the prerequisite to success for the group. And yet, that has been very elusive so far in 2025. The team has done without left guard Steve Avila since Week 1, has benched last year’s starting center Beaux Limmer as a healthy scratch, and now faces a second consecutive game without starting right tackle Rob Havenstein.

Still, the team appears to be turning the corner. And that is exactly the message shared by Rams head coach Sean McVay as the team makes final preparations to face the 1-4 Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 6. It seems Avila, a player called out publicly earlier in the week, has gotten the message.

And not a moment too soon. The inconsistency of the Rams' front five hasn’t hindered veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford much, but it has surfaced in special teams chaos in the form of blocked kicks. Those blocked kicks have directly contributed to both losses this season. Hopefully, Avila’s return marks improvement across multiple fronts.

Steve Avila’s return could stabilize Rams' offensive line vs Ravens

Few NFL teams know—or care—much about an offensive guard, particularly this early in the season. But Rams fans knew going into 2025 that as Avila goes, so goes the team. That was the offseason narrative from multiple NFL experts, who pegged the former TCU standout as the wildcard for this year’s success. While he hasn’t gotten off to a great start, the season is still young. And now?

Let's just say he is ultra motivated.

While nobody can claim the current turn of events to be game-changing yet, it’s certainly a very positive step in the right direction. And that leaves the team working through the bumps and bruises of veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein to resolve the offensive line continuity issues. But there are other positives to this news.

Justin Dedich is capable, but he stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 296 pounds. Lined up next to 6-foot-5, 292-pound center Coleman Shelton, the interior becomes one of the lighter groups in the NFL. But with the return of 6-foot-3, 332-pound Avila, the interior suddenly matches up with even the biggest and baddest defensive linemen in the league.

Not all fan bases root around in the weeds for positive news about the team. But the #Ramily has a long-standing tradition of elite offensive linemen and keeping a close eye on happenings in the trenches. And Avila was the first player selected in the 2023 NFL Draft — the same class that yielded defensive end Kobie Turner and outside linebacker Byron Young.

The Horns need to find some solid footing and build some positive momentum. Week 6 has all the makings of giving the team that opportunity. Still, it has to be earned. Having been called out publicly as not giving his full effort, you can safely expect to get huge effort out of the starting left guard in this one.

As always, thanks for reading.