Rams Make Last-Minute Roster Move Ahead of Giants Game and What It Means

The Los Angeles Rams elevated linebacker Elias Neal from the practice squad ahead of Monday night’s matchup against the New York Giants.

Jun 3, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Elias Neal (58) during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Rams have activated linebacker Elias Neal from the practice squad ahead of Monday night’s game against the New York Giants. Throughout the week, the Rams have been managing injuries to Omar Speights and Nate Landman, and Neal should provide some depth there if needed.

Both Landman and Speights were on the injury report during the week. Landman hurt his shoulder and thumb against the 49ers while Speights missed some time in Week 1 with a hip pointer. McVay noted this week that the expectation was for Landman to play on Monday night. Neither player had an injury designation on Saturday’s injury report, implying that both will be active.

Still, with both players dealing with some sort of injury, it certainly won’t hurt for the Rams to have some depth at the position. Shaun Dolac filled in for Speights last week when he left the game. The Rams also have Grant Stuard, who is mostly a special teams contributor.

Neal signed with the Rams in 2024 as an undrafted free agent and has spent most of his time on the practice squad. With that said, he’s a player who the Rams have been developing over the last two years.

Neal has 22 tackles over the last three preseasons, including seven this past summer. Pro Football Focus credited Neal with a coverage grade of 72.5, which ranked 28th among linebackers with 45 or more snaps. He only played four snaps on special teams, but contributed there in 2024 and 2025. Neal also played 23 snaps on special teams last year during the regular season.

It’s unlikely that he contributes much outside of special teams against the Giants, but it will be good for the Rams to have that depth with Speights and Landman both dealing with injuries.

The fact that Landman nor Speights received an injury designation on Saturday is a positive sign for the Rams heading into Monday night. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean either player will be operating at 100 percent. At the very least, Neal gives the Rams depth and another player who can contribute on special teams. If the Rams do need to turn to Neal at some point, he should at least be somewhat familiar with the scheme.

Monday night will be an important test for the Rams defense as they look to respond after their disappointing Week 1 performance. The Rams are set to play the Giants on Monday Night Football at 5:20 p.m. PT.

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