Rams HC Sean McVay says 3-man kicking competition far from decided

Rams will use this week's practice to make final decision on kicker

The Los Angeles Rams three-man competition apparently will come down to final practices this week, according to head coach Sean McVay.

The three men competing for the job include CFL standout Lirim Hajrullahu, XFL product Austin MacGinnis and rookie Samuel Sloman. None of the three has jumped out and seized the job through two scrimmages and training camp.

You can check out a closer look at the three candidates for the kicker position here.

“We want to use every little of the time that we have to really evaluate this,” McVay said. “It’s certainly a very important decision for us, and we’ve got three guys that are very capable. The more opportunities that we can try to create to try and simulate those game experiences is what’s important.

“We’re going to take all of our time, and I think all of those guys have done a nice job. But it certainly is far from decided.”

Contrary to our report, McVay says that receiver Cooper Kupp does not have a sprained ankle.

“That report is inaccurate,” McVay said. “He does not have an ankle sprain. He had had some soreness in his lower leg that had been going on for the last couple days. There was a specific play in which he communicated that he was feeling it, so we wanted to be cautious with him.

“We took an X-ray of his leg during the scrimmage, in which case I communicated to you guys there was nothing on that. We’re monitoring him because of some soreness in that leg, but an ankle sprain did not take place.”

McVay went on to say there was no injury to report, and the goal remains to make sure Kupp is healthy for the team’s Sept. 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

“I don’t anticipate any setbacks as far as for the Dallas prep, but with the goal of a player that has played as many snaps as him to be as fresh and ready to go for the 13th, we might limit some of his work this week,” McKay said.

If Kupp is resting this week, McVay said rookie Van Jefferson would slide into his team’s three-receiver rotation with the starters.

McVay said training camp practices will end on Thursday, and the Rams will not truly begin solely focusing on the Cowboys until after roster cuts this weekend.

The team is still monitoring inside linebacker Tavin Howard’s knee, per McVay. But if he’s not available, the Rams feels comfortable with Kenny Young and Troy Reeder as options at that inside linebacker spot next to Micah Kiser.

Some good news for the defense is projected starting safety Taylor Rapp, out since the start of training camp with a knee issue, is expected to practice this week, according to McVay.

However, McVay said running back Darrell Henderson Jr., who suffered a hamstring injury during the team’s first scrimmage on Aug. 22, likely will not practice this week.

“I think he’ll still be out,” McVay said about Henderson. “He’s progressing right now. I would be surprised -- those soft tissue injuries, especially with an explosive player like him, you don’t want to rush him back and then set him back potentially another couple weeks.

“He is making progress, but as far as being ready to compete, right now he’s day-to-day. I’d like to say that ideally he ends of getting some work in toward the latter half of the week. But if he were to practice today, he would not be ready to go.”