5 LA Rams benefiting most from Sony Michel's sudden retirement

Well, talk about getting a curve ball. Less than 24 hours after publishing an article touting why RB Sony Michel would bring a lot to the LA Rams roster, the guy has made a life-changing decision. And wow, this one floored me. I didn't see it coming. But, did anybody?

You can be honest. Did you really see it coming?

After all, Sony Michel was drafted into the NFL in 2018. This is 2023. That means that he has competed in just five NFL seasons, and he has competed in and won two Super Bowls on two different teams. But, nobody expected him to turn in his retirement papers this early in his career:

And so, the grand projections that I had made for the positive impact of Michel on the Rams' offense appear pretty silly right now. But we'll come back to that in a moment. Let's at least touch on the point that the NFL running back market is so nuts right now that veteran running backs in their prime are opting to retire rather than play. Does that happen in any other professional sport?

NBA vs. NFL

Let's look at the NBA versus the NFL:

The fact is that Sony Michel has been to the top of the NFL mountain twice in his short five-season career. In terms of what he had left to challenge him, I suppose the battle for a roster spot with no assurances of playing time in the 2023 NFL season is quite the letdown from two Super Bowl winning rosters. So in hindsight, I do understand why Michel chose the here and now to retire. But what of the LA Rams? This is how LA Rams head coach Sean McVay responded:

"So all four of those guys right now at running back (Cam Akers, Kyren Williams, Zach Evans and Ronnie Rivers) have done a good job. But I do think whether it's a veteran or not, you definitely probably need to add a fifth body to that room, maybe even a sixth. So we'll look at somebody."

- Rams HC Sean McVay

Sony Michel was simply a veteran who could be counted on to deliver. The need for that role on the Rams roster has not suddenly gone away.

So who is most likely to benefit on the Rams roster from Sony Michel's sudden retirement? Let's go down the list: