For a second straight season, the Rams will place Aqib Talib on IR. The 12th-year cornerback’s rib injury will end up sidelining him for at least eight more weeks, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Talib missed Sunday’s game against the 49ers and would not be able to return until Week 15 because of this transaction. This timetable closely mirrors the Rams’ 2018 Talib plan. The Pro Bowler went on IR after Week 3 and returned in early December.
Los Angeles’ defense suffered last season without Talib, with teams picking on Marcus Peters in what became a tough season for the then-fourth-year veteran. The contract-year corner will again become the Rams’ top outside cover man. The Rams roster veteran Troy Hill, ex-waiver claim Darious Williams and third-round rookie David Long at corner. Hill started in Talib’s place against San Francisco.
The Rams were playing better when they placed Talib on IR in 2018. The defending NFC champions are now 3-3, having lost three straight. Talib’s future with the team is also murky, with the 33-year-old defender’s contract expiring at season’s end.
The Rams traded for Talib in their action-packed 2018 offseason but by December will have seen him miss 15 games. Talib was far more reliable in Denver, having missed just six games in four Broncos seasons.
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