Time running out on Jarquez Hunter as Sean McVay talks 'trust' in Rams RBs

Like most teams, the Los Angeles Rams cringe at cutting ties with recent draft picks, but running back Jarquez Hunter, a 2025 fourth-rounder, is in jeopardy of missing out on the 53-man roster in his second season. 

The Rams have a clear one-two punch in Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Veteran Ronnie Rivers has held down the RB3 role for a while now, and he contributes on special teams. More than anything, he has earned the trust of head coach Sean McVay, something the latter has emphasized in consecutive media sessions when discussing Rams running backs. 

"Trust. That's the big thing. I got to be able to trust that you can play without the ball, protect the quarterback, know where you're going to be in protections. It'll be hard for you to play for us if we don't trust you," McVay said Monday.

Although the initial question was phrased generally, it's not hard to read McVay's response as a direct reflection of where Hunter sits on the depth chart versus Rivers, who has locked up a roster spot again in Year 5. 

If those comments weren't enough, McVay had this to say when asked about Rivers on Tuesday: 

"You guys heard me say it, trust is a big word. I trust Ronnie Rivers. I trust that he knows what he's doing. I trust his instincts. I trust his ability to be effective in pass protection, get the ball where it's supposed to go in our different run schemes and be a functional extension of the pass game … whether he's a checkdown, he's got a good feel in the screen game."

That makes it crystal clear. Hunter will have to earn McVay's trust if he wants to make the team, and with only one preseason game and four days until cutdowns, it may be too late. 

Jarquez Hunter hasn't yet shown Rams what he needs to 

Hunter barely played as a rookie - all of 22 snaps, all on special teams. For that matter, Rivers didn't play much either. Corum's sophomore leap ate up most available snaps behind Williams. 

But while Rivers has an NFL track record and four years' experience in the Rams organization, Hunter has little of either. The Rams value both, and while it's true that Hunter hasn't had a chance to gain experience, he hasn't necessarily earned that opportunity. 

"Ronnie Rivers is that guy I trust," McVay said in the case that Williams or Corum is unavailable at any point this season.

The door to claim Rivers' spot, or at least give him a good run for his money, was open in training camp. That door is now shut.

Although he played well, that Hunter saw heavy work in preseason Game 2 against the Saints is not a positive indicator for his roster hopes. Rivers, meanwhile, hasn't taken a preseason snap. He's in.

At this point, Hunter's only path onto the 53-man roster is if the Rams decide to carry four backs, not three. If he wants to make a conversation, McVay has set the standard he must meet. 

Unfortunately, LA has a depth-chart crunch at several more pressing positions. Would Hunter get the nod over an extra offensive lineman or summer standout Cam Lampkin at cornerback? With so little time to gain ground, it feels more likely than not that Hunter misses the cut.

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