Rams waive running back Darrell Henderson in final year of rookie contract

The Los Angeles Rams waived running back Darrell Henderson on Tuesday, ending his career with the team after three and a half seasons. A third round pick in 2019, Henderson was meant to be a complement to Todd Gurley, if not a potential replacement if he developed in that direction and reached his full potential.

But despite multiple opportunities over all four years of his NFL career, Henderson was never able to take advantage of those chances and ultimately Sean McVay must have felt like the Rams were better without him than with him.

This move opens up the door for Cam Akers and Kyren Williams to take full control of the reins in the backfield, which is stunning given that it was Akers who many expected to get cut from the Rams this year. Instead, Akers survived the trade deadline and was L.A.’s lead back in Week 11’s loss to the Saints. Williams debuted for the Rams and was the number two, while Henderson only got two carries.