Rams get mixed bag update on Jaylen Watson after scary shoulder injury

The Los Angeles Rams avoided the worst-case scenario with starting cornerback Jaylen Watson, but they are still going to be without him for an extended period of time.  

Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed Monday that Watson suffered a dislocated right shoulder late in the first half of Sunday night’s 30-26 loss to the Denver Broncos and will miss multiple games. 

There was at least one encouraging wrinkle: Los Angeles does not plan to place Watson on injured reserve, which would require him to miss a minimum of four games. McVay also indicated Watson has suffered a similar injury before.

Watson was carted to the locker room Sunday after getting his right arm tangled while defending a Broncos receiver. He later emerged with his arm in a sling.

For now, there is no definitive return date. Medical research has found football players can sometimes return from a nonsurgically treated shoulder dislocation in roughly four to six weeks, although recovery varies significantly based on the severity, stability and history of the injured shoulder.

Trent McDuffie, Watson’s former Kansas City Chiefs teammate and now his partner in the Rams secondary, plans to make sure Watson doesn’t disappear into the lonely grind of rehabilitation. McDuffie said he’ll invite Watson over for dinner and keep him connected to the locker room.

“We know he’s going to come back this season,” McDuffie said.

The Rams’ injury list didn’t stop there. McVay said tight end Colby Parkinson’s availability for Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles remains uncertain because of a shoulder injury, while Terrance Ferguson is doubtful with an ankle injury.

For a Rams team already nursing wounds after a gut-punch loss in Denver, the flight to Philadelphia just got a little less crowded.

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