The Rams have been faced with a number of challenges on the injury front this offseason, but help on defense could be coming soon. Cornerback Darious Williams was designated for return from injured reserve on Wednesday, per a team announcement. 
Williams dealt with a hamstring injury during the summer, and it lingered into the start of the campaign. He was placed on IR ahead of Week 1, guaranteeing an absence spanning at least the first four games of the season. The 31-year-old is now eligible to practice at the first opportunity, though, suggesting he could be available in time for Week 5.
After a Los Angeles spell which lasted from 2018-21, Williams took a deal with the Jaguars in free agency. That three-year, $30MM pact saw him serve as a key starter in Jacksonville. The former UDFA was released this offseason with one year remaining on the contract, however, allowing him to return to the Rams on the open market. Williams inked a new three-year deal in the spring, this time worth $22.5MM ($7MM guaranteed).
He will be in line for a first-team role once healthy, something which has been the case so far for fellow free agent pickup Tre’Davious White. The former Bills All-Pro took a one-year deal after his Buffalo tenure was marred by multiple injuries, but he has managed to remain available through the first month of the season and has logged a 98% snap share to date. He and Williams will provide plenty of experience on a Rams defense featuring a number of younger contributors.
The team also opened Larrell Murchison‘s practice window on Wednesday. The fifth-year defensive lineman was designated for return before the roster deadline, using one of the Rams’ IR activations in the process. He made 15 appearances and three starts last season, handling a 25% snap share. With Aaron Donald no longer present along the defensive interior, that figure could increase in 2024 once Murchison is activated.