The Rams have made moves in their running back room with injuries mounting up ahead of the Steelers game on Sunday. They elevated running back Royce Freeman to the active roster and signed Darrell Henderson to the practice squad. That comes on the heels of Kyren Williams suffering an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out for Week 7. Meanwhile, his backup, Ronnie Rivers, has a PCL sprain that will keep him out for an extended period.
Both players are veterans. Henderson came into the NFL with the Rams in 2019 and played with them until last season, when the team moved on. He would latch on with the Jaguars following his release in November. Henderson racked up 1742 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, along with 474 receiving yards and four touchdowns over those seasons with the Rams. Just days before signing with the Rams, he signed with the Arlington Renegades of the XFL to play in the 2024 season. Henderson has experience in Sean McVay’s offense, which should help him get up to speed.
As for Freeman, he came into the NFL in 2018 as a third-round pick out of Oregon with the Denver Broncos. He has bounced around from Denver to Carolina to Houston before joining the Rams this offseason. While not making the initial roster, Freeman has been with the Rams since July and will likely see playing time with Rivers and Williams sidelined for the Steelers game.
Rookie Zach Evans is set to get the start. Coming out of Ole Miss, Evans is an athletic player with a ton of pedigree. He impressed the Rams during training camp and the preseason, leading to his role now with the Rams. They picked Evans as a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and while he did not test off the charts, Evans plays like a running back with acceleration and excellent quickness.