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The St. Louis Rams may soon have their regular starting right tackle back on the field and ready to play. Friend of TST and one of the most dedicated fans out there, @Wynnde13, spotted Saffold at Tuesday's practice in pads and a helmet.
Rodger Saffold in pads and helmet today.
— Wynnde (@wynnde13) August 20, 2013
Saffold left the team's preseason opener against Cleveland with a shoulder injury. It was a dislocated shoulder, and the Rams did not expect him to miss more than a couple weeks.
Head coach Jeff Fisher hinted at possible return on Sunday.
"We're hoping to get Rodger back this week," he said.
This news puts him back in the mix a little earlier than that even, but we still lack official word on his status.
Joe Barksdale started in place of Saffold last week, against the Packers. Head coach Jeff Fisher spoke highly of the backup tackle's work in that outing.
"I thought Joe was good," Fisher said. "He hung in there and played well. He played well against the Packers last year in the regular season. I thought he hung in there and played pretty well."
Barksdale played 25 snaps last week. According to the unofficial stats at Pro Football Focus, he did not allow a single quarterback pressure.
Snaps with the first team were a good opportunity for Barksdale, who figures to be the primary backup on the right side. If he is cleared to play this week, you can expect Saffold back in the mix because he's still getting used to playing on the right side for the first time in his professional career.