Rams HC Sean McVay Explains Decision in Benching DB

Valentina Martinez | Oct 7, 2024

Sep 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay on the field during the second half of a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay labeled Tre'Davious White being benched as a "coaching decision."

White was listed as inactive for the Week 5 matchup with the Green Bay Packers. It marked the first time White was scratched from the roster when he was healthy.

Following the 24-19 loss to Green Bay, McVay revealed why White was unavailable for Sunday's game.

“It was a coaching decision,” McVay said via the team transcript. “He’s been a pro in every sense of the word but you get Darious back, we felt like we were going to have a larger role for Ahkello [Witherspoon] and so there are some special teams considerations that go into it, so that was what resulted in him being inactive.”

White has been a contributing factor to the ongoing struggles of the secondary this season. Through the first four games of the season, the cornerback racked up four penalties and was beaten in coverage which resulted in scores.

It was evident he was off to a slow start this year. His performance was nothing like his time with his former team, the Buffalo Bills. With the Bills, White became a two-time Pro Bowler as well as a first-team All-Pro.

White has failed to meet expectations. In Week 4, White earned two defensive penalties against the Chicago Bears. One of those penalties was a pass interference that put the Bears at the one-yard line.

Although Ahkello Witherspoon and Darious Williams performed better, the Rams still lost another close game. It was a disheartening loss that featured moments of potential.

"There's a lot of things that are occurring that we've got to figure out how to learn from in an accelerated manner," McVay said. "We're having some mental things that typically haven't occurred here, but they are, and we have to be able to figure out how to eliminate those. Before you can start winning games, you have to start learning how to not beat yourself."

The Rams head into the bye week with a 1-4 record. It's far from an ideal start to the season, but the massive amount of injuries the Rams have suffered certainly plays a part in the lowly record.

As a veteran quarterback, Matthew Stafford had some words of wisdom for his team.

"You can't be scared to put yourself back out there no matter what the record is," he said.