Will Rams be impacted by latest NFL gambling suspensions?

The NFL is suspending Isaiah Rodgers of the Indianapolis Colts for the entire 2023 season for violating the gambling policy, according to Adam Schefter, just one year after star receiver Calvin Ridley suffered the same fate. The Los Angeles Rams have so far not been directly impacted by the NFL’s gambling suspensions, which have been most costly to the Detroit Lions thus far, but Schefter notes that there are more banishments coming.

One way the Rams will be impacted is that they face the Colts in Week 4, meaning that Rodgers, a starting cornerback and the team’s primary kickoff returner, won’t be active that week.

Last year, L.A. lost two players to suspensions as Bobby Brown III was suspended for six games and Brycen Hopkins for three, as both violated the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. So far, we don’t know of any Rams suspensions for 2023 and have no reason to expect any, but what’s clear since the announcement that Detroit’s Jameson Williams and others were suspended earlier in the offseason, is that anything could happen at any time.

The Rams will also face the Washington Commanders in Week 15 and defensive end Shaka Toney was suspended indefinitely, but reportedly for at least one year.

For now, Los Angeles is only affected based on not playing against Rodgers and Toney. But Schefter notes that more suspensions are expected this week and the Rams need all hands on deck for the upcoming season. They can’t afford to lose anybody, no matter their role, so fans will need to keep fingers crossed that nobody on the roster broke the gambling rules, even though it appears that quite a few players across the league didn’t understand that that’s exactly what they were doing.