Rivers played all 20 of his snaps on special teams in Thursday's 12-6 win over the 49ers. Rivers had been working ahead of Blake Corum as the top backup to lead back Kyren Williams through the first four games of the season, but the rookie has since supplanted Rivers for the No. 2 role. Though he's been active for each of the Rams' ensuing 10 contests, Rivers has played exclusively on special teams in all of those games.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Ronnie Rivers news
Team
Los Angeles Rams
Birthdate
1/31/1999 (25)
Status
Active
HT/WT
5'9", 192 lbs
Birthplace
Brentwood, CA, USA
Position
RB
College
Fresno State
Experience
3 seasons
Career History
Los Angeles Rams
2022-Present
(3 seasons)
Seattle Seahawks
2022-2022
(1 season)
Arizona Cardinals
2022-2022
(1 season)
Rivers played all 20 of his snaps on special teams in Thursday's 12-6 win over the 49ers. Rivers had been working ahead of Blake Corum as the top backup to lead back Kyren Williams through the first four games of the season, but the rookie has since supplanted Rivers for the No. 2 role. Though he's been active for each of the Rams' ensuing 10 contests, Rivers has played exclusively on special teams in all of those games.
Rivers did not record a snap on offense and played 11 snaps on special teams during Sunday's 24-19 loss to the Packers. For the first time this season, Rivers did not act as the backup to Kyren Williams, with Blake Corum filling the role instead. Whether this is a one-game test for the third-round rookie before the Rams go on bye in Week 6, or if Corum has officially jumped Rivers on the depth chart remains to be seen, but Corum notably produced very similar numbers to what Rivers had been producing with his touches (five rushes for 25 yards, one catch for eight yards). Regardless, the role of Williams hasn't changed, as he rushed 22 times for 102 yards and a touchdown, so neither Rivers nor Corum have much immediate value barring an injury to Williams.
Rivers rushed six times for 26 yards during Sunday's 24-18 loss against Chicago. The third-year back saw his usage creep up for the second consecutive week, taking the field for 13 of the Rams' 61 snaps on offense. For the third time in four weeks, rookie Blake Corum was used exclusively on special teams, leaving Rivers as the clear No. 2 behind Kyren Williams. Even with the slight uptick in usage, the Rams backfield still runs through Williams (19-94-1 on Sunday) heading into a Week 5 matchup against the Packers.
Rivers rushed twice for nine yards during Sunday's 27-24 victory against San Francisco. Kyren Williams (24-89-2) is locked in as the starter for the Rams, but Rivers continued to work as the backup. The third-year pro converted a pivotal fourth down on a fake punt, keeping alive a drive that ended in a receiving touchdown for Williams. Notably, third-round rookie Blake Corum didn't take a snap on offense for the second time in three games, meaning Rivers seems firmly locked in as the backup to Williams, at least for now. Rivers will likely continue to have a limited role in the offense in a Week 4 contest against the Bears.
Rivers caught his only target for no gain and played three snaps on offense during Sunday's 41-10 loss to the Cardinals. Kyren Williams continued to dominate the touches in the backfield, only yielding three snaps to Rivers before the game was completely out of hand. Rookie Blake Corum had eight rushing attempts, but all eight came on the final drive of the game with the game already wrapped up, so his usage was likely to eat up the remaining clock and protect an already depleted offense from taking any further damage. It appears that, so long as Williams is healthy, Rivers and Corum will be mostly used for special teams, but Rivers is the only other back on the roster to play meaningful snaps through the Rams' first two games.
Rivers rushed twice for 16 yards during Sunday's 26-20 overtime loss to the Lions. Despite being listed as third on the depth chart, Rivers operated as the primary backup to Kyren Williams. Williams retained his dominating snap share and was on the field for 71 of the Rams' 78 offensive plays, while Rivers took the remaining seven and 2024 third-round rookie Blake Corum failed to record a snap on offense. The most obvious signal from this breakdown is that Williams, at least for now, is likely to continue to be the focal point of the rushing offense instead of being in the timeshare that had been rumored all preseason long. Who operates as the backup to Williams, however, seems more murky in the short term with Rivers seemingly the No. 2 man in the pecking order for now.
Rivers "seemingly has the best chance to be the No. 3 running back" for the Rams, according to Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire. Rivers was the No. 2 back at times last season but now figures to fall behind rookie third-round pick Blake Corum, who reportedly has been impressive at training camp. With Corum profiling as Kyren Williams' backup, Rivers and Boston Scott are the favorites for back-end roster spots, which might mean more playing time on special teams than offense.
Rivers signed his contract tender with the Rams on Monday. Rivers suited up for nine games in 2023 as a backup to Kyren Williams, logging 32 carries for 129 yards and while securing all five of his targets for 22 yards. He and Zach Evans could have a chance to compete for the No. 2 backfield role this offseason, pending Los Angeles' additions in the 2024 NFL Draft and/or free agency. Rivers has looked solid in limited action as a pass catcher, which could open further paths for opportunities on offense if he's able to impress in the coming months.