DECEMBER 21: Out for more than two months, Rivers will return to action tonight. The Rams will use one of their IR activations on Rivers, moving him back into position as a Williams sub alongside Freeman. The NFC West team now has one IR activation remaining this season.
DECEMBER 19: The Rams could soon be adding some depth to their backfield. The team announced that they’ve designated running back Ronnie Rivers for return from injured reserve.
After getting into eight games as a rookie, Rivers entered the 2023 campaign as the Rams’ third running back. He appeared in each of the team’s first six games this season, collecting 75 yards from scrimmage on 17 touches. He also saw a significant role on special teams, getting into more than half of his team’s ST snaps through six games.
Rivers suffered a knee sprain back in Week 6 that ultimately required a stint on injured reserve. He was first eligible to return from IR in late-November, so the RB needed at least an additional month of recovery before returning to the field.
The Fresno State product went undrafted in the 2022 draft. He had brief stints with both the Cardinals and Seahawks before landing on the Rams practice squad.
The Rams running back room looks a bit different than when Rivers last played. Kyren Williams is now back from injury and commanding most of the snaps at the position, and fill-ins Zach Evans and Royce Freeman have reverted to their backup roles. The Rams would have to carve out another spot on the depth chart if they want to activate Rivers, although practice-squad RB Darrell Henderson could also argue for a roster spot.
You use that phrase “running back depth” but I do not think it means what you think it means