Injury activation decisions may come up for the Rams, who have Myles Garrett close to returning and Davante Adams and Kobie Turner moves to make when those starers are ready. But two other cogs are ready to return to work now.
In addition to Garrett’s long-awaited return to practice, the Rams (per the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein) moved tight end Terrance Ferguson and running back Ronnie Rivers into the IR-return window Wednesday. Both have three weeks to be activated or revert to season-ending IR.
Ferguson has been on IR since he aggravated an ankle injury in Week 3. The Rams placed Rivers on IR in late September. With Kyren Williams and Blake Corum entrenched atop the team’s running back depth chart, Ferguson is the more notable IR-return player here. The Rams have leaned into three-tight end sets over the past 1 1/2 seasons, and the 2025 second-round pick should be a key part of those looks again soon.
Los Angeles re-signed 11th-year tight end Tyler Higbee and drafted Max Klare in Round 2. The team still rosters Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen, having carried a five-TE room into the season when Ferguson remained healthy. That looks likely to be the case again.
Ferguson may have the group’s highest ceiling as a pass catcher, having averaged 13.7 yards per reception during his final Oregon season (43 catches, 591 yards, three touchdowns). He and Klare profile as a long-term tandem, with Higbee 33 and Parkinson in a contract year. Ferguson has much to prove, though, as he only totaled 231 yards on 11 grabs as a rookie. He had shown some early-season promise this year but saw that pause when moved to IR.
It will be interesting to see if the Rams activate Rivers. They have seven IR activations left, having only used one on rookie tackle Keagen Trost, but Garrett, Adams and Turner will be expected to return. With Ferguson coming back soon, that would leave three IR-return moves for the rest of the regular season. Is Rivers worth such a move or will the team save its activations should the need arise?
It would make sense for the Rams to take their time here, as they keep running into health issues, but Rivers — a fifth-year Ram who has been a special teams regular; this included a kick-return role last season — is on the radar to take up one of those activation slots.