Darious Williams is set to make his season debut in Week 5. The veteran cornerback was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, according to a team announcement.
Williams was put on injured reserve after roster cuts but before Week 1, which meant he had to sit out at least four games. However, this did not immediately count as one of the team’s eight activations.
Now, with three activations already used early in the season, the Rams are moving forward. The other two activations were for offensive lineman K.T. Leveston in August and defensive tackle Larrell Murchison just yesterday.
Williams had a hamstring injury that kept him out for part of the offseason and the first four weeks of the season. Now that he has returned to practice, he is fully healed.
The 31-year-old is expected to take on a starting role again, similar to his previous time with the Rams and during his time with the Jaguars in 2022 and 2023.
Jacksonville let Williams go with one year left on his contract, allowing him to come back to Los Angeles.
He signed a three-year, $22.5 million contract to rejoin the Rams, a team that has been heavily affected by injuries and has struggled defensively. Los Angeles ranks 31st in both scoring and total defense, and safety John Johnson has the team’s only interception so far. Williams aims to help improve this situation and contribute to the team’s efforts to bounce back from a 1-3 start.
So far, Tre’Davious White and Cobie Durant have taken on significant defensive responsibilities at cornerback. With Williams now officially back, he should be included in the team’s plans right away, potentially improving the Rams’ pass defense, which is currently ranked 20th.
