ClutchPoints
Sometimes a rivalry doesn’t need flowery quotes or manufactured storylines, it just needs one guy to say the quiet part out loud. Jared Verse did exactly that ahead of Thursday night, making it clear the Rams-Seahawks matchup is personal, bluntly admitting he can’t stand Seattle and calling it the NFC West opponent he dislikes most.
That edge is meeting reality, fast. With the Rams turning around on a short week for the trip to Lumen Field, Sean McVay is already managing expectations on who can actually be available.
As Stu Jackson reported on X, even though tight end Tyler Higbee and offensive lineman Rob Havenstein are now eligible to return from injured reserve, McVay said it will not happen this week because of the quick turnaround. In other words, eligibility doesn’t equal readiness, not when you’re playing again in a matter of days.
The timing matters because this game is more than a usual division meeting. Both teams are riding momentum, and the matchup comes with real stakes in a crowded NFC West race, the kind where one Thursday night can swing the week-to-week narrative and the standings leverage.
The Rams also have a major skill-position question hovering over everything. Davante Adams is dealing with a hamstring injury, and the latest update suggests the team is prepared to drag the decision right up to kickoff.
Stu Jackson shared McVay’s stance that the Rams are not ruling Adams out yet, and the coach indicated those calls could go all the way to game time. It’s the classic approach: make Seattle prepare for the full menu and decide later if the steak is actually getting served.
McVay also acknowledged the obvious complication: a hamstring issue rarely plays nice with a short week. Still, he kept the door cracked.
So the tone is set. Verse is promising nastiness, McVay is preparing for limitations, and the Rams are walking into Seattle with a few key names stuck in the “not yet” category.
The post Rams’ Sean McVay rules out 2 players’ return from IR for Seahawks game appeared first on ClutchPoints.
