What's next for Rams after season-ending injury to Jaylen Watson? - USA Today
Just when it looked like the Los Angeles Rams were returning to full strength, the injury bug bites again.
Cornerback Jaylen Watson needs shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the season, head coach Sean McVay told reporters on Wednesday. Watson exited Sunday's Week 8 win over the Los Angeles Chargers early after re-aggravating the same shoulder originally dislocated in Week 3. He missed the following week but has played every game since, and McVay said on Monday they'd be evaluating the fifth-year DB on a day-to-day basis.
McVay said Wednesday that Watson had hoped to continue to play through the injury with a brace, but the team ultimately decided to shut him down after they were told by doctors "the likelihood of it coming out and doing further damage to it is a very high probability."
"He's been awesome," McVay said. "He's been playing through some different stuff, but he's been really productive. And it's unfortunate that that happened, but I know he wants to be able to play, but it's the right thing to do for him. And that's the tough part about this."
Watson signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Rams in March shortly after the team traded his former Kansas City Chiefs teammate Trent McDuffie in a blockbuster trade and signing him to a four-year, $124 million extension. The secondary tandem won two Super Bowls as members of the Chiefs and their continued pairing in LA, along with the later acquisition of Myles Garrett, immediately pushed the Rams into offseason favorites for Super Bowl 61, which will be played at SoFi Stadium.
All three have dealt with injuries that have limited their time together on the field. Garrett underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after Week 1 and has been on injured reserve, though he returned to practice this week as a limited participant. McDuffie returned in Week 8 after missing the previous two weeks with a groin injury.
Watson has been a bright spot on the Rams defense, even with playing through pain. The Washington State product has an interception, nine passes defended and 24 tackles in seven games played this season. He has the seventh-highest grade among NFL cornerbacks (80.7), according to Pro Football Focus.
"He's been everything and that much more that we had hoped," McVay said.
Josh Wallace has played well in the absences of Watson and McDuffie, and his number will continue to be called upon by defensive coordinator Chris Shula through the rest of 2026. In his third season out of UMass and Michigan, Wallace has an interception, five passes defended, 29 tackles and a tackle for loss. His 77.3 PFF rating ranks ninth among active cornerbacks.
Emmanuel Forbes Jr. also will be expected to get more reps.
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