Rams WR Van Jefferson To Undergo Knee Surgery; Out For Week 1?
According to Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, receiver Van Jefferson will undergo knee surgery on Tuesday and is expected to miss the remainder of training camp. His status for Week 1 and the start of the regular season is now in question.
"We’ll see what his availability looks like to start the season, but it was really positive news that we got on him," McVay said. "He's in good spirits, so we'll get his knee cleaned up tomorrow. I know he's going to attack the rehab the right way."
Entering his third year with the franchise, Jefferson missed Saturday's practice after experiencing pain in his knee. He was scheduled to meet with a specialist on Monday for further testing. Earlier this offseason, Jefferson underwent a procedure after suffering lingering issues during the NFC Playoffs.
Last season, Jefferson stepped up as the team's No. 3 receiver. He finished with 50 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns. He added nine catches for 102 yards in the Rams’ four playoff games on the way to a 23-20 Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jefferson was expected to fight for full-time first-team reps with the departures of Odell Beckham Jr. and Robert Woods. He has been working on the outside along with new pass-catcher Allen Robinson and reining Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp.
"[I'm] really just honing in on myself, staying constant, staying consistent and being confident in my ability," Jefferson said last week. "I think it's just more about just me proving myself right than me proving other people wrong.”
The Rams are hoping for more growth at the receiver position. Last season, both Woods and Beckham suffered torn ACLs. Former second-round pick Tutu Atwell was limited to eight games after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 8.
Offensive coordinator Liam Coen did not go into detail Sunday on Jefferson's status but instead spoke of how the receiver's loss should open the door for another playmaker to step. Coen spoke highly of slot receiver Ben Skowronek, who seems to be turning the corner in his second season with the offense.
"We know we can line up and play multiple different positions," Coen said. "So, Ben's going to continue to grow and hopefully make some of those plays and continue to gain [QB] Matthew's [Stafford] trust.”
Last season, Skowronek carved out a limited role for himself with Woods' injury, recording 11 passes for 133 yards in the last 10 games.
Depending on the severity of Jefferson's status, Los Angeles could be moved to add another receiver. Talks with Beckham have been quiet on the Rams' front since the beginning of training camp, though both sides throughout the offseason stated they hoped to get a deal done.
The Rams open the season at home against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8.
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