The Rams beat the Titans 33–19, but the headline is brutal: head coach Sean McVay said Ahkello Witherspoon “broke his clavicle.” No timetable was given, only that it’s “a big loss.”
Witherspoon has been playing true CB1 ball for L.A. Going back to Week 1, he helped hold Texans star Nico Collins to just three catches for 25 yards, a notable dip from Collins’ 2024 baseline.
That’s the kind of eraser Los Angeles just lost on early downs, in the red zone, and in end-of-half situations where McVay and DC Chris Shula trust their corners to win on islands.
Sunday showed the immediate ripple effect. After Witherspoon exited in the second quarter, Tennessee tested the reshuffled coverage, and Cam Ward hit rookie Elic Ayomanor for a late-half touchdown, the exact kind of leverage-and-scramble play you ask your CB1 to erase.
Ahkello Witherspoon’s injury shifts Rams’ depth chart
The rotation shifts to Darious Williams, Cobie Durant, and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. on the outside/slot mix. Williams didn’t play in Week 1. McVay called it a tactical decision, but he’s the most natural plug-in opposite Forbes with Durant flexing between nickel and perimeter as matchups dictate.
Expect more safety help on vertical X-receivers and a heavier dose of split-safety looks on obvious passing downs while the staff calibrates how much true press they want without Witherspoon.
The goal? To keep explosive plays capped and force long fields while the pass rush finishes drives.
Clavicle fractures typically sideline players for multiple weeks, and early reports suggest injured reserve is in play, meaning at least four games, though the Rams have not announced a timeline.
The Rams won but lost a star in the process. Witherspoon’s length, poise, and route-squeezing clean up so much on the back end that his absence will stress matchups and how aggressive L.A. can be with pressure.
The depth is very good for the Rams with Williams, Durant, and Forbes, but the margin for error shrinks until Witherspoon is back. For now, the defense has to keep explosive plays off the board while the offense continues stacking clean second halves like it did in Nashville.