Rams Place Punters Johnny Hekker, Corey Bojorquez on COVID-19/Reserve List

Two Rams have been placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list ahead of tonight’s preseason game against the Raiders.

The Rams have placed punters Johnny Hekker and Corey Bojorquez on the COVID-19/Reserve list, the team announced Saturday.

When players are placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list, it can mean two things: the player tested positive for COVID-19 or they have been deemed a close contact with an infected person. 

Hekker, who enters his 10th season with the Rams is regarded as one of the better punters in the NFL. Last season, he averaged 45.6 yards per punt on 68 attempts.

Bojorquez signed with the Rams in April via free agency after serving as the Buffalo Bills punter for three seasons. Last season, he averaged a league-leading 50.8 yards per attempt. 

As the Rams get set to host the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium at 7 P.M. PT for their second preseason matchup, they'll be without a punter for the contest. Whether they rely on kicker Matt Gay to fulfill the duties or someone else, a determination will likely be made clear during pregame warm-ups. 

Gay has not served as a team's punter at any point of his NFL career with the Rams and Buccaneers, nor did he in college at the University of Utah. 

For the Rams' sake of things, it's a good thing this is a preseason contest, because not having a punter could be the difference between winning or losing a game. Situations like this will likely be discussed among the coaching staff in the event that something to this effect were to occur in the regular season.

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Nick Cothrel is the Publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel.