In the aftermath of the Rams’ delirious win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, a heavy dose of reality was delivered on Monday as the team awaits the MRI results on safety Quentin Lake’s elbow.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, head coach Sean McVay said the Rams have yet to make a determination on a timeline for Lake’s recovery as they wait for the imaging results. The plan is to consult with VP of sports medicine Reggie Scott and the team’s head physician and surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache at that time.
McVay mentioned injured reserve and surgery as possibilities for Lake, and did not rule out that this could be a season-ending injury.
“I think it might be a little bit of time for him,” McVay said grimly. “It looked like his elbow was caught in a weird spot. Get an MRI and see what that says, but I think because of how tough he is, it might be some time and not great for our captain and leader, and bummed out for him.”
Lake appeared to suffer the injury while absorbing a run block in the second quarter. He fell to the turf gripping at his left elbow before he even hit the ground.
The fourth-year safety has been a pivotal member of the Rams defense this season, alternating between playing deep and being the team’s primary nickel corner. Prior to his injury, he had been on the field for all but two of the Rams’ defensive snaps this season, serving as green-dot communicator when linebacker Nate Landman has left the field.
McVay said the Rams will work in aggregate to replace Lake. Sunday’s second half was a preview of what that could look like, with second-year safety Kamren Kinchens playing an expanded role, corner Cobie Durant switching between outside and nickel and second-year corner Josh Wallace playing some snaps at nickel as well. McVay credited defensive backs coaches Aubrey Pleasant and Chris Beake for figuring out the new rotation on the fly against the Seahawks.
“We’ll discuss that,” McVay said. “But I did think Josh Wallace deserves a ton of credit for stepping up, doing an excellent job. Kinchens ended up playing more snaps than he typically would have and did a phenomenal job. Even Cobie Durant slid inside at the end and did a great job at the nickel position. So there’s a lot of different things. … We’ll see what that looks like.”
Beyond the production on the field, replacing Lake’s leadership will be a bigger challenge. There’s the on-field communication, but also the behind-the-scenes work he has done the last two seasons as captain.
Lake and Kobie Turner sat down with McVay in 2024 after a dreadful defensive performance against the Eagles to ask the head coach to help provide more accountability on their side of the ball.
“You don’t replace a Quentin Lake. He’s so valuable for so many reasons with what he can do, with who he is as a human, with the way that he elevates and leads. He is a glue guy for us,” McVay said. “I think it would be insincere to think that you’re going to ask somebody to do the things that he’s capable of. It’s what makes him so special. But I do have a lot of confidence in the other guys.”
Injury report
Tight end Tyler Higbee suffered an ankle sprain on a third-and-15 screen pass to Puka Nacua in Sunday’s win. McVay said he is not sure of the severity of the injury for the veteran as of Monday morning.
“We’ll see how he’s feeling,” McVay said. “Sometimes those ankle injuries can either be better or they can end up being worse after the adrenaline wears off.”