Turf Show Times
A mild surprise headlines the Los Angeles Rams’ gameday inactive list for the season opener against the Houston Texans. Rookie RB Jarquez Hunter—drafted to bring an explosive element to LA’s running game—will not dress in Week 1.
Instead Cody Schrader was activated from the practice squad and will get the nod over Hunter. Schrader impressed during the preseason. Likely this decision was made with special teams in mind, and Schrader offers capabilities as a kick returner in addition to other facets of the third phase.
Nonetheless, this is still a disappointing outcome for Hunter. He clearly does not have a defined offensive role for the start of the season and it lends the question of how long it will take him to see the field. While the Rams have spent draft picks on Blake Corum and Hunter in recent years, we still may be looking at a workhorse type role for starter Kyren Williams.
Hunter was not the only 2025 rookie included in LA’s list of gameday inactives. He’s joined by interior defensive lineman Ty Hamilton, who struggled in the preseason and likely is on the 53-man roster in a developmental role. He could reasonably be headed for a redshirt season.
It was also somewhat surprising to see the Rams reluctant to dress Desjuan Johnson. In the exhibition games Johnson flashed the positional flexibility to play on the edge, which is a new element to him game. This flexibility helps save roster spots, but even so Johnson was unable to crack the gameday lineup.
