Ochaun Mathis was one of 14 drafted rookies to make the Rams’ initial 53-man roster on Tuesday but he won’t be active for very long. Sean McVay told reporters that Mathis will start the season on injured reserve, which means he’ll miss at least the first four games of the regular season.
In order for a player to be eligible to return from IR, he has to make the 53-man roster first, which is why the Rams kept Mathis instead of putting him directly on IR. Had they placed him on IR before final cuts, he’d have been ruled out for the season.
Mathis has been dealing with a knee injury for weeks, causing him to miss all three preseason games and most of training camp. The Rams would’ve loved for him to be healthy for Week 1, but by putting him on injured reserve, it’ll open up a roster spot, potentially for a kicker or another edge rusher such as Keir Thomas.
The good news is McVay said Mathis will be the only player to start on IR, so the Rams should be close to full strength for the start of the season.
Mathis was selected by the Rams in the sixth round out of Nebraska, one of three edge rushers drafted by Los Angeles this year.
