Going into their December slate, the Rams will have a key piece of their defense back on the field.
The Rams designated Aqib Talib for an IR return on Monday. This matches up with the timeline Talib gave recently. He will be eligible to return this weekend against the Lions but has 21 days to be activated.
Either way, this should be a critical boost for a Rams defense that’s struggled in recent weeks. Talib was placed on IR because of an ankle injury, for which he underwent surgery. He’ll return to practice in advance of Los Angeles’ Week 13 preparations.
Coming off their historic 54-51 win over the Chiefs, the Rams obviously are one of the NFL’s Super Bowl favorites. But they’ve now allowed at least 27 points in their past four games, with their past three opponents eclipsing the 30-point barrier. In Talib’s three games with the team, the Rams allowed 0, 13 and 23 points. Granted, two of those performances were wins over the Raiders and Cardinals, but could be a significant development for a dominant team.
The Rams gave up a fifth-round pick for Talib, who is signed through the 2019 season. Fellow trade acquisition Marcus Peters has struggled for much of this season, so it will be interesting to see how he fares when working with Talib again.