Los Angeles Rams are facing another setback in their so-far-struggling 2019 NFL season. The team announced on Monday that they had placed their starting cornerback Aqib Talib on injured reserve after he suffered a rib injury in Week 5 game against Seattle Seahawks.
Talib missed the practice last Wednesday and remained inactive for the rest of the week, before being ruled out for Week 6 game against San Francisco 49ers. The 33-year-old will now be forced to spend at least eight weeks on the sidelines before being eligible to return in Week 15.
The injury comes at a really bad time for the Rams, who are without a number of their starters and are currently on a three-game losing streak.
“What he’s meant in terms of his presence and just all the things that Aqib has really brought to this locker room, he means a lot,” – said Rams’ head coach Sean McVay about Talib absence. “I’ve learned a lot from him. I’ve appreciated the way that he’s consistently led, been a great sounding board for a lot of the guys in his understanding of the system that we’ve been running the last couple of years. I think he’s a Hall of Fame player when you look at what he’s done throughout his career.”
Aqib Talib was also forced to spend time on IR last season when he struggled with an ankle injury. He returned in time for playoffs, playing a significant role in the team’s deep postseason run.
In five games he played this season, Talib has 14 tackles, and one pass defended.
