After wild week, Rams get some players and normality back

The Rams came home from a triumphant trip to Arizona on Monday night knowing five players were sidelined by COVID-19 but not realizing how much crazier their world was about to get.

Defensive lineman Greg Gaines found out when he showed up at the Rams’ training facility in Thousand Oaks Tuesday morning to get treatment on an injured hand.

“Somebody stopped me at the gate and was like, ‘What are you doing here?’ ” Gaines said Saturday. “I was like, ‘Getting treatment. What do you mean?’ ‘The whole building’s shut down.’ Like the Apocalypse was happening or something.”

In the next three days, the Rams’ COVID-19 reserve list would grow to 29 players and their game against the Seattle Seahawks scheduled for Sunday was postponed to Tuesday night at 4 p.m. at SoFi Stadium.

“It’s crazy,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said, summing up the week.

Saturday brought signs of normality for the Rams, one of several NFL teams hit hard by the coronavirus as the Omicron variant brings world-wide surges in cases.

The Rams returned to their facility and went through a jog-through practice, their first time on the field since before their 30-23 victory over the Cardinals. They held meetings on Zoom for the fourth day in a row. A full practice Sunday and jog-through Monday are expected.

The team was able to bring six players off the COVID-19 reserve list, among them wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and running back Darrell Henderson, but had to add offensive lineman Joe Noteboom and defensive back Robert Rochell to the list.

Those moves shortened the Rams’ COVID-19 reserve list from 29 players to 25.

But with six regular starters still on the list, making their availability for Tuesday night uncertain, practicing and writing a game plan weren’t easy.

Coach Sean McVay refused to say if he or any members of his staff have tested positive for COVID-19, and the Rams said the status of coaches would be announced Monday.

“It’s a fluid situation,” Stafford said Saturday, the first time in four days that players or McVay spoke with reporters. “It might change — for the positive or the negative.”

McVay said he’s making a plan that includes the players he thinks he knows he’ll have, while monitoring the chances of others returning.

He praised players’ response to the situation, and said he didn’t think the outbreak of positive COVID-19 tests was the result of any “reckless” behavior.

“I couldn’t be more pleased and proud of how these guys have handled a very uncertain last couple of days,” McVay said.

Part of that uncertainty was players’ worry that they might be next to test positive.

“We’ve all, I’m sure, been stressing about it. Every day we go into the tent (for testing), I’m like, ‘Oh, man, please don’t be me,’ ” Gaines said. “Because if I get it now, I’m going to miss a game, maybe two games.”

Activated from the list Saturday, after they submitted the required negative tests, were Beckham, Henderson, tight end Brycen Hopkins, tackle Alaric Jackson, linebacker Justin Hollins and cornerback Dont’e Deayon.

The six regular starters remaining on the COVID-19 reserve list were tight end Tyler Higbee, right tackle Rob Havenstein, linebackers Von Miller and Troy Reeder, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and safety Jordan Fuller.

Fifteen members of the 53-man roster were on the list and remained in jeopardy of missing Tuesday night’s game.