The Los Angeles Rams' offense was dealt a significant blow Wednesday, following reports that running back Kyren Williams will miss significant time.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Williams' sprained ankle suffered in Sunday afternoon's game against the Arizona Cardinals could keep him sidelined through the Rams' Week 10 bye week.
#Rams RB Kyren Williams is expected to miss multiple games but should be back, at the latest, after the Week 10 bye, per source. Williams suffered an ankle sprain on Sunday.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 18, 2023
Prior to getting injured, Williams' ascension in the offense had been a revelation for the Rams, as the 23-year-old had been averaging 4.7 yards per carry, while rushing for 456 yards with six rushing touchdowns and adding 22 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown. Through the Rams' first six games, Williams scored multiple touchdowns in three of those contests.
The injury occurred during Williams' most impressive performance to date in his two-year career. Sunday afternoon, Williams rushed for a career-high 158 yards and a touchdown, as a driving force in Los Angeles' 26-9 runaway victory over the NFC West rival Cardinals.
Williams' emergence made the Rams' former starting running back, Cam Akers, expendable and ultimately replaced the veteran, who was traded to the Minnesota Vikings last month.
In order to replace Williams' production, or at least buttress rookie Zach Evans and Royce Freeman taking on expanded roles in the offense.
In 68 career games, Freeman has logged 394 carries for 1,473 yards with six scores. The 27-year-old spent the 2022 campaign with the Houston Texans, where he rushed for 117 yards.
Evans, chosen by Los Angeles in the sixth-round of April's draft, has just four carries for 10 yards after making his NFL debut on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Rams elevated Freeman from the active roster on Tuesday and added Darrell Henderson, potentially rounding out a backfield committee to shoulder the load previously carried by Williams.
Last season at Ole Miss, Evans rushed for 936 yards and nine touchdowns, while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Beginning Sunday against the Steelers, and Pittsburgh's ninth-ranked rushing defense, the rookie will get the chance to prove he's capable of playing a starring role both in Williams' absence and alongside the veteran upon his return.
