Darious Williams is positioned to make his season debut in Week 5. The veteran corner was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a team announcement.
Williams was placed on injured reserve after roster cuts but before Week 1. That move ensured at least four-game absence but did not immediately use up one of the team’s eight activations. That is now the case, however, and the Rams have already used three activations relatively early in the campaign (the others being used on offensive lineman K.T. Leveston in August and defensive tackle Larrell Murchison yesterday).
The hamstring injury which left Williams sidelined during part of the offseason and the first four weeks of the campaign has healed in full, given the fact he returned to practice when first eligible. The 31-year-old is expected to handle a starter’s workload in his return, something he had during the end of his first Rams stint as well as his Jaguars tenure spanning 2022 and ’23. Jacksonville released Williams with one year left on his deal this offseason, opening the door to a Los Angeles return.
Williams inked a three-year, $22.5MM deal to rejoin the Rams, a team which has been hit hard by injuries and struggled on defense. Los Angeles ranks 31st in the league in both scoring and total defense, and John Johnson has the team’s only interception to date. Williams will look to help in that regard and in turn provide a boost to L.A’s efforts at rebounding from a 1-3 start to the season.
Tre’Davious White and Cobie Durant have handled notable defensive workloads so far at the cornerback spot. Williams should factor into the team’s plans right away now that he is officially back in the fold, and his presence could lead to improvement for the Rams’ 20th-ranked pass defense.