Rams LB Omar Speights dealing with high ankle sprain ahead of Ravens game

Rams linebacker Omar Speights suffered a high ankle sprain in the team’s Thursday night loss to the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Sean McVay said on Monday.

The expectation, McVay added, is that Speights will be listed as doubtful for this weekend’s game against the Baltimore Ravens and running back Derrick Henry.

A second-year player, Speights has been a key component of the Rams’ run defense this season with 19 tackles. The other linebackers on the Rams roster are Troy Reeder and undrafted rookie Shaun Dolac to join Nate Landman if Speights is unable to play.

“We’ll work through that. I’ve got a lot of confidence in Troy,” McVay said. “Haven’t gotten too far deep into that yet.”

Tight end Colby Parkinson also suffered a concussion against the 49ers and is currently working through concussion protocol.

“Making good progress, do expect him to be available,” McVay said. “He’s doing good but he’s in the protocol.”

McVay similarly said that tight end Tyler Higbee (hip) and right tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle) are progressing after being held out against the 49ers, but the pair will be monitored this week.

Higbee injured the hip in practice ahead of the Rams’ Week 4 game against the Colts. McVay said that week that he had checked out with the medical team, but after he played through the injury the team decided to hold him out during a short week as a precautionary measure.

“He’s such a tough competitor that I think our job is to sometimes to protect these guys from themselves, really he and Rob,” McVay said. “We had to make a decision on what was best for them and are they are able to functionally operate and execute the way that we believe they’re capable of. Just because that can be a lingering thing, short week, we felt like erring on the side of caution with him.”