Los Angeles Rams Tasked With Snapping Skid Minus Two Pricey Players With Matthew Stafford And Aaron Donald Idle Against Seahawks

The pair of Los Angeles Rams with the team’s two biggest guaranteed contracts, one on each side of the ball, will be absent against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Rams coach Sean McVay said on Wednesday that defensive tackle Aaron Donald (ankle) and quarterback Matthew Stafford (neck) won’t be available when the Rams (3-8) attempt to snap their five-game losing streak.

Donald is the latest of McVay’s key charges to be compromised, but the prognosis of the nine-year pro’s high ankle sprain wasn’t all bad.

McVay said Donald’s injury that he suffered last week against the Kansas City Chiefs won’t require surgery. Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, will be considered week-to-week, according to McVay.

Donald, whose five sacks this year tie for the team high, signed a three-year, $90 million extension, all guaranteed, before the Rams’ encore season to winning Super Bowl 56.

Stafford will skip his third game in four weeks as he remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Stafford leads the offense in guaranteed compensation at $130 million, part of his four-year, $160 million deal.

John Wolford, who was earlier sidelined with neck issues, or Bryce Perkins, will start for Stafford.

As the Rams’ season continues to unravel, the idea of shutting down Donald and Stafford for the remainder of the year isn’t unreasonable.

Wide receivers Cooper Kupp (ankle) is out a minimum of two more weeks and Allen Robinson (foot) has season-ending surgery on the horizon.

There are numerous other ailments to players sprinkled around the roster, especially on the offensive line which has started 11 different combinations this year.

With this season cooked, the Rams might be wise to rest players, or at the least not rush back the injured ones.

Donald, a seven-time All-Pro selection, has been durable throughout his career. He’s missed but two regular-season games, both coming in 2017.

He skipped that year’s opener after sitting out training camp when angling for a six-year, $135 million pact that came with $87 million in guarantees.

Donald also didn’t play in that season’s final regular-season finale as McVay sat his starters prior to the playoffs.