Cornerback Aqib Talib missed practice Tuesday afternoon for the Los Angeles Rams. According to Sean McVay, the veteran “felt a little twinge” in his hamstring.
“Aqib is good,” McVay said regarding his absence from practice. “He just got a little soft tissue right now, but we’re being smart with him. He was playing so well against the Raiders, he made a great break-up and he just felt a little twinge in that hamstring, so we’re just being smart with Aqib right now.”
It would be silly for the Rams not to be as cautious as possible when it comes to Talib this preseason. The 33-year-old spent much of last season on the IR after suffering an ankle injury in Week 3. Talib required surgery on his ankle and returned to action in Week 13. Talib isn’t exactly an injury-prone player, but there’s no need to force him to practice coming off an injury. There are no concerns that he won’t be ready to play Week 1 even if he sat at home for the next few weeks.
Entering his 12th NFL season, Talib is a critical part of the Rams defense. He was voted a captain by his teammates last season and you could see why. When Talib missed time, the Rams pass defense took a nosedive. Marcus Peters struggled to handle the assignments normally given to Talib. When he returned in Week 13, Peters played his best ball of the year for the remainder of the season. The tandem of former AFC West rivals play their best ball together.
Don’t expect to see Talib in uniform at all this preseason, but expect him to be back at practice sooner rather than later.
