Los Angeles Rams Coach Sean McVay Reveals RB Kyren Williams 'Goal' Injury Return

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay provided an update to the injury recovery timeline of running backs Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers.

When the Los Angeles Rams took the field Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they did so with a running back grouping entirely different from the start of the season.

With Cam Akers traded to the Minnesota Vikings and both Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (PCL sprain) placed on injured reserve entering Week 7, the Rams' top three ballcarriers at various points in the year were all absent.

And still, Los Angeles found success on the ground, with fill-in's Royce Freeman and Darrell Henderson combining for 127 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries in the Rams' 24-17 loss inside SoFi Stadium.

Better yet, the Rams may not be without Williams for much longer than his mandatory four-week absence, with coach Sean McVay expressing optimism he can return once the window opens.

“I hope so," McVay said Monday. "It's still a little bit early, but there was a debate on whether or not we were even going to do that with Kyren knowing that the bye fits in between there and that still doesn't count as one of the four games that you have to miss.

"So definitely that would be the goal with him."

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams carries the ball against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6 / © Kyle Terada, USA TODAY

Williams was in the midst of a breakout second season, emerging as a true difference maker in Los Angeles' offense.

Through six games, the 2022 sixth-round pick took 97 carries for 456 yards and six touchdowns while adding 13 receptions for 105 yards and another score through the air.

In two of his last three games, Williams received at least 20 carries and rushed for over 100 yards in both, evolving into a bell-cow runner for the Rams despite his 5-9, 194-pound stature.

So, the injury came right as Williams was announcing himself to the rest of the league ... and his loss was only maximized by Rivers' joint absence.

But the Rams are similarly optimistic about the timeline on Rivers' return, though perhaps not as much as with Williams.

"As it relates to Ronnie, he's a guy that we're hopeful on that but we'll see how he continues to respond from his knee injury,” McVay said.

The emergence of Henderson and Freeman allowed the Rams rushing attack to remain steady in its first try without Williams and Rivers, and all parties certainly hope that continues over the next three games, starting Sunday on the road against the Dallas Cowboys.

But even if the ground game falters in the short term, Los Angeles may not have to hold out much longer until its top two runners return to action.