Rams News: LA Opens Practice Window for Starting Offensive Lineman

Ricardo Klein | Oct 16, 2024

Sep 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Joe Noteboom (70) blocks during the game against the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. The Bills defeated the Rams 31-10. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams could be getting back their starting offensive line soon.

The Rams have opened up the 21-day practice window for offensive lineman Joe Noteboom. 

Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times shared the news via Twitter/X. 

Rams will open 21-day window for OL Joe Noteboom (ankle) to return from IR, McVay said.

— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) October 16, 2024

Noteboom has missed the last four games after suffering an ankle injury in the Week 1 loss against the Detroit Lions and was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 11. 

The 21-day practice window is the three-week period during which teams see how far along a player has come since being up on the injured receiver. When/if a player is cleared to return to football activity, the 21-day window can be opened. 

This is tremendous news for the Rams, who have been a depleted team all season long. Noteboom has been missed, and he is one of three starting linemen who have missed significant time, including Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila. 

Head coach Sean McVay said earlier this week that Noteboom had a workout that could determine his availability for the rest of that week, and it indeed went well. 

"Joe's got a big workout scheduled this week," said McVay. "We'll see what that looks like in terms of his availability for the Raiders and then possibly for the Vikings."

Noteboom has spent his entire seven-year career in Los Angeles after being selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft with the No. 89 overall pick. 

He has played in 67 career games and started in 31 of those games. Noteboom also played a pivotal role for L.A. during their 2021 Super Bowl season. 

This ankle injury isn't the first for Noteboom; in fact, it's the first of many in his NFL career. After spending his rookie year as a backup, Noteboom was named the starting left guard to begin the 2019 season. He started the first six games before suffering a knee injury in Week 6. It was revealed that he suffered a torn ACL and MCL and was placed on season-ending injured reserve in mid-October 2019. 

He was placed on the IR the following season due to a calf injury. In 2020, he played in 10 games with nine starts. 

After the Super Bowl win, Noteboom signed a three-year, $40 million contract extension with the Rams. However, halfway through the 2022 season, he tore his Achilles tendon and played in only six games. 

Injuries have been tough for Noteboom, but the hope is that he is done with them, at least for the rest of this season. 

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