Bryce Hager has been in and out of the lineup for the Los Angeles Rams this season since suffering a shoulder injury in Week 4. He’s had weeks where he didn’t practice at all and others where he was a healthy scratch, which has left many wondering exactly what’s going on with the injury.
Hager clearly is not healthy after missing practice again on Wednesday, and as a result, the Rams are trending toward placing him on season-ending injured reserve.
“I would say most likely the direction we’ll go will probably be to place Bryce on IR, but I want to make sure we’ve got all the information necessary,” McVay said Thursday. “But I know he’s been frustrated, it’s been hard for him. He’s been battling through trying to get this thing right and it’s just been really fidgety.”
The unpredictability of the nerves in his shoulder have caused him to be in and out of the lineup. McVay said Hager has tried to battle through the injury, but it’s not exactly something he can control.
“It’s been really up and down,” McVay added. “Sometimes it responds the right way, but when you deal with some of these nerve things, it’s something that can be really challenging and unpredictable. He’s doing everything he can, the doctors are doing a great job of just trying to keep him feeling in a good place, but it’s been one of those deals where it’s been an unpredictable thing.”
Troy Reeder has taken over for Hager in his absence, but even he’s not playing much at linebacker. Instead, the Rams have opted for more of a three-safety look on defense with Eric Weddle, Taylor Rapp and Marqui Christian playing most of the snaps.
