Early injury reports out of Rams training camp raises concerns for key players

The 2024 LA Rams Training Camp is underway. Amid all of the excitement of a new season with new players playing for new coaches facing new challenges, there is the comfort of knowing that the age-old tradition of professional football is back again. Football means the dwindling days of summer that carries through the fall and into the wintry wonderland of a new year.

It's time to sports bars, pizza and taco bars, big screen televisions, and the raucous uproar of cheers and jeers to a game playing in the family room. The NFL is back again.

But with football comes the unfortunate news of player injuries. After all, even in shorts and tee shirts, professional football is a physically demanding sport that pushes players and their bodies to the limit. Sometimes, whether through fatigue, an unfortunate twist or turn, or contact, injuries occur.

One such injury impacted defensive back Derion Kendrick. Per ESPN Adam Schefter, Kendrick may have torn his ACL during practice. If confirmed, his season is over before it began. While Schefter claims that Kenrick was a projected starter, he was at the minimum in the mix for a significant rotational role this season.

Another key player who suffered an ACL injury is starting TE Tyler Higbee. He suffered his ACL injury in the Wild Card Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs against the Detroit Lions. Fortunately, the team anticipated his long recovery and was able to reinforce the team's roster by signing veteran TE Colby Parkinson.

As expected, the team assigned Higbee to the IR/PUP list. And if early projections stand, he may start the season on the IR list as well.

Another developing story that bears monitoring closely is a recent groin injury to NT/DT Kobie Turner. Turner is projected to take over the position vacated by retired DT Aaron Donald. While there are plenty of defensive linemen who will benefit by a surge of reps in Turner's absence, not the least of which is rookie DT Braden Fiske, Turner is expected to be a huge contributor to the defense in 2024.

How long will Turner be impacted by his groin injury? They are nasty injuries that, if not fully healed, can be aggravated and may end a player's season early.

While there is always a punch list of player injuries at the onset of training camp, these injuries bear close scrutiny. The team is hopeful to have a healthy and full roster to start the 2024 NFL season. With three key players already facing injuries, the team is not exactly getting off on the right foot.

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