John Johnson III was placed on injured reserve way back on September 18 after he injured his shoulder in Week 2’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He was given a return timeline of 4-6 weeks but he sat and sat on IR, waiting to be activated to the 53-man roster.
Finally, the Rams made that move official on Tuesday nearly four months after Johnson landed on IR.
The team announced Johnson has been activated, taking the place of Blake Corum, who has been placed on injured reserve with a broken forearm. Johnson has been added to the active roster and is eligible to play in Monday’s playoff game against the Vikings.
In addition to activating Johnson and placing Corum on IR, the Rams also signed veteran running back Royce Freeman to the practice squad, taking the place of safety Quindell Johnson, who was cut from the practice squad.
LA Rams Roster Moves:
• Reserve/Injured RB Blake Corum
• Activated, from Reserve; Designated for Return S John Johnson III
• Signed Practice Squad Veteran RB Royce Freeman
• Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad S Quindell Johnson pic.twitter.com/okfCNYXxvE— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 7, 2025
The reason it took so long for the Rams to activate Johnson despite him being healthy for weeks is they were only allowed to bring back one more player from IR. Now that they’re in the playoffs, they were given two more IR-return spots, making it an easier decision to bring Johnson back.
Johnson has only played two games this season, recording one interception and eight tackles. The Rams are flush with talent at safety now, with Kamren Curl, Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCollough all playing big roles, along with Quentin Lake covering the slot, so Johnson may not see playing time right away.
Freeman’s return to Los Angeles gives the Rams some needed depth at running back with Corum out for the year.
