Ram Digest

Rams Cut RB Darrell Henderson Jr.; Do Emojis Reveal the Story?

Darrell Henderson Jr. tweeted some cryptic emojis on Tuesday after the Los Angeles Rams waived him.

Zach Dimmitt

The Los Angeles Rams waived running back Darrell Henderson Jr. on Tuesday in a surprise move. A third-round draft by the team in 2019, he's been a staple in the backfield since 2020 and was seen as the answer for LA at running back after rumors swirled of a Cam Akers trade earlier this season.

But instead, he's now free to be claimed by a new team, and it might be an opportunity he's been looking forward to.

In a situation that still has more questions than answers, Henderson Jr. seemed to provide at least a glimpse of his feelings with two emojis on Twitter soon after he was waived.

You don't have to be an expert in emoji trends to figure out that Henderson Jr. appears to feel free after his departure from a team he's spent the past four seasons with. This immediately raises questions on if there was any internal conflict between Henderson Jr. and the organization.

Rams coach Sean McVay will surely be bombarded with questions about Henderson Jr. in the coming days. The running back missed nearly all of Sunday's 27-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints with some apparent knee discomfort, but it remains to be seen if there was additional underlying reasons for his absence and subsequent release.

Per McVay, nothing else seemed to be an issue. But a lot has changed in 24 hours.

"He felt his knee in pre-game a little bit," McVay said Monday. "He obviously started and had those first couple carries of the game ... He said he felt fine today. So that was kind of why he didn't maybe get as many opportunities.

In a Rams rushing attack that is averaging the second-fewest rushing yards per game (76.1) this season, a committee approach has been LA's best bet. Henderson Jr. was the head of this committee, as he led the team with 283 rushing yards.

But LA will now rely on Akers and rookie running back Kyren Williams to provide some semblance of production as the Rams visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

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