LOS ANGELES — Sean McVay said Wednesday that Los Angeles Rams starting receiver Demarcus Robinson won’t be suspended for Sunday’s game in New Orleans, after Robinson’s arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence earlier this week.
“Talking with him, I think he does understand the severity of this and how lucky we were that nobody was injured, (and) I do believe that he is remorseful,” said McVay, who added that Robinson was “remorseful.”
The legal process and the NFL’s corresponding action from that outcome will continue, McVay said.
Robinson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Monday morning, the California Highway Patrol said in a news release to The Athletic and the Rams later confirmed. Patrol officers say they initiated an enforcement stop after observing a white Dodge sedan traveling over 100 miles per hour on the US-101 freeway south of Tampa Avenue.
Patrol officers said that after they stopped the car, Robinson identified himself as “an active player for the Los Angeles Rams,” according to the release. Officers said they observed “objective signs and symptoms of alcohol impairment.”
Robinson was cited and then released to a “responsible party,” according to the release.
Robinson addressed the entire team during meetings Wednesday, then spoke with local reporters after practice.
“Hopefully everyone in the room can learn from my mistakes,” Robinson said. “It’s a bad look. I don’t want to bring that type of light or any type of negativity toward the team. Things like that (are) not natural for me or in my nature, stuff that I usually do. I told (McVay) I sincerely apologize to him and the team and this whole organization for even putting myself and the organization in a predicament like that.”
McVay said the team would also take some additional measures in response instead of a suspension, but declined to say what they are.
“I appreciate his ability to acknowledge it to the team, while also not minimizing or undermining the severity of what could have been,” McVay said. “I do trust that he is going to learn from it, and I think it’ll be a good learning opportunity for our whole football team.”
McVay said that Rams players have team resources if ever impaired by a substance that are in place to prevent them from getting behind the wheel. Players are informed of those resources, such as drivers or car services, during the onboarding process each year.
“I think it was a bad decision he made,” said McVay, “I don’t think that makes him a bad person. I do believe that this is something that, with the words that he said (in the meeting) our guys will learn from it — and hopefully nobody is ever going to repeat something like this. Let it be a learning opportunity and a fortunate outcome in the fact that nobody was injured. … I don’t believe there was malicious intentions, but God forbid if something were to happen to him or somebody else.”
Robinson, 30, was signed by the Rams in 2023. He has caught six touchdowns this season, which is a career high.
Higbee begins practicing; Havenstein expected back
McVay said earlier this week that right tackle Rob Havenstein is trending toward a return Sunday, after missing the previous three games with an ankle injury, although the team would have to continue to evaluate him through Wednesday’s practice (Havenstein was a full participant).
In his absence, backups Joe Noteboom and Warren McClendon allowed a combined nine pressures and three sacks, according to TruMedia.
Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson didn’t practice with a foot injury, according to the injury report released Wednesday evening (and after McVay’s news conference, so the head coach did not address the situation).
Tight end Tyler Higbee, who tore his MCL and ACL after a low hit by Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph in last year’s wild-card playoff matchup, had his practice window opened on Wednesday though is not expected to play Sunday.
At Wednesday’s practice, Higbee caught passes to the side of skill players’ drills with quarterback Matthew Stafford and backup Jimmy Garoppolo. Third-string quarterback Stetson Bennett was the thrower.
“I’m just happy for him, it’s such a difficult thing to go through (an) injury, especially a long one like that,” Stafford said. “I’m so happy for him, proud of him. In and out of this room, the training room, walking around, you just see the work that he’s put in to get to where he is now to be able to come back out (here) and do what he loves.”
Kicker concerns and conversations
Rams rookie kicker Josh Karty has missed five field goals this season, including one in each of the last three games. His missed attempt from 26 yards in Week 11 at New England prompted McVay to punt from the opposing 35-yard line late in the fourth quarter instead of attempting a field goal from there.
After the game, McVay noted that there wasn’t “a whole lot of back and forth” in making that decision because “there wasn’t a lot of reason to feel good about that (field goal) operation today.”
Karty also missed a 47-yard field goal attempt in Sunday’s 37-20 loss to Philadelphia.
“Just keep on kicking, learn from it, move on,” said Karty after the game. “I feel like I’ve been kicking really really well (in practice) over the last three or four weeks, it just has not been clicking in games.”
Karty said he and McVay had a one-on-one conversation ahead of the Week 12 game. They discussed working through adversity, said Karty, and how eventually he would look back on this time and realize it was a good thing he went through it.
“Definitely feels like sh– (now), haven’t been in this spot before in my career,” Karty said. “But it’s just a matter of time before I go on a tear and then they all start going in.”
McVay said Wednesday that he wanted to instill “belief with authenticity” in Karty as he continues to get to know him. He added that he’s still confident in the kicking operation moving forward.
(Top photo of Robinson: Rio Giancarlo / Getty Images)
