The Los Angeles Rams are expecting to get wide receiver Davante Adams back in action. The timing could not be better, with an NFC Wild Card matchup against the Carolina Panthers on tap for Saturday.
Adams missed the final three games of the regular season.
His return is seemingly paramount to the Rams achieving their postseason goals. LA went 1-2 during Adams’ absence.
Davante Adams Helped Mitigate Further Injury
GettyDavante Adams #17 of the Los Angeles Rams warms up before facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Adams spoke with the media on Tuesday for the first time since December 10, which was ahead of the Rams’ Week 15 tilt against the Detroit Lions. With his return looming, Adams said he is “feeling good” and that his balky hamstring “feels great.”
He joked that it “feels like a year since” he last played, but he is “excited to be back, for sure.”
Adams also admitted that he believed the injury was “worse than what it was” when it first occurred, a sentiment that quickly subsided, partly, he believes, due to his actions.
“I think I kind of helped the situation a little bit when I gave out instead of trying to continue to push through because that’s what guys do sometimes. See the ball and keep running, trying to get to it. And then, something creates more damage. So, me, kind of, bailing out of it right there, I think I saved it a little bit,” Adams told reporters on January 6.
“I would say by the time I got assessed in the locker room [he knew] that it wasn’t going to be as bad as what we were all thinking. And just based off how I was feeling. Walking in wasn’t fun. But still, from maybe like five minutes after that, I realized.”
However, Adams revealed that he “unfortunately” did not realize he also had a knee injury.
“It kind of set in at night, and that’s when I realized we had to take a look at that one,” Adams said. “As far as the hamstring, yeah, I was grateful that it wasn’t as bad as we thought.”
The Rams listed Adams with a knee injury ahead of their loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16. He overcame that by Week 17, though. The hamstring issue, an aggravation of an ailment he had previously sustained, has lingered.
Davante Adams Sets Tone for Rams
GettyDavante Adams #17 of the Los Angeles Rams reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts.
Adams said he is “grateful” to be in the position he is in with the Rams and praised the Panthers for being a “really solid team.” However, Adams also made it clear that the Rams are not looking past the team that beat them in Week 13, but they remain focused on a Super Bowl berth.
Adams cited his “four NFC Championship games” in eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
“You have to forgive me if we’re not cheesing ear to ear after the first win. Obviously, we’re going to go out there and do everything we got to do to get that win. And we got to play the right type of ball, first off, in order to be in that position. But we got … bigger goals in mind than to just survive the first round of the playoffs.
“I think everybody’s going to have that mindset of just being locked in the whole time and staying present in the moment, so we can take care of business this week.”
Optimistically, Adams added, “And then, get ready for the next week, if that presents itself.”
Adams said “there’s a lot” that the Rams can take away from their first meeting with the Panthers. It was a 31-28 Carolina win during the regular season. Still, he said the Rams’ focus must be on eliminating the “uncharacteristic” turnovers.
“I don’t think we took them lightly at all. I think we just came out and played some–a little bit of sloppy ball at times. Played some good football, too,” Adams said. “So, just being a little bit more ball aware, I guess. Making sure we’re not turning over, whether it’s interceptions, fumbling the ball, whatever it is, just being able to protect it. Because a team like that’ll be able to take advantage if you make bad mistakes like that.”
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford–who threw 2 interceptions and fumbled on the offense’s final possession–expressed similar sentiments.
Rams head coach Sean McVay’s message has gotten through to Adams and Stafford.
Davante Adams Gets Honest About Missing Time
GettyDavante Adams #17 of the Los Angeles Rams on the sideline during a game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Adams admitted during a conversation with Rams teammate Quentin Lake, who is also returning from injury ahead of the Wild Card, that he has “never really figured out” managing being off the field due to an injury.
He said the sentiment goes from “feeling sorry for yourself” initially to realizing that his teammates still need him for leadership.
That kept him mentally checked in, and then the rehab work took over.
“First few days is going to be tougher with that. But as you get into it and get into a rhythm, start seeing the treatment and the rehab heading in the right direction, it’s a little easier to kind of wrap your mind around everything, and when you’re seeing results, and you’re starting to get better,” Adams said.
“The mental part was tougher than the physical. And I feel like, like Sean said, last week, if we had to, could have went. But just trying to give it a little bit more time, just to be smart about it, and to load up and be ready to go for a week like this.”
This is the second straight campaign Adams has been capped at 14 games during the regular season. Adams battled injuries early in his career. He played in all 17 games in 2022 and 2023.
He had not missed more than two games in one season since 2019.
Davante Adams Breaks Silence Ahead of Return to Action for Rams