Report: Rams DB Derion Kendrick suffers torn ACL during recent training camp practice

Los Angeles Rams fans just waking up on the west coast have to deal with some tough news to start their morning as NFL insider Adam Schefter reports that Derion Kendrick has suffered an injury.

Kendrick is a former 2022 draft pick for LAR and he had come along nicely so far in the NFL, but there’s now concern he may have torn his ACL in practice just over a month before the season starts. Schefter tweeted out the scary news on Thursday morning:

“Sources: Rams projected starting CB Derion Kendrick, the team’s 2022 sixth-round pick, is feared to have torn his ACL during practice. He will undergo additional testing to confirm the initial diagnosis,” wrote Schefter.

That is certainly not good for the Rams or Kendrick. Here’s to hoping for the best as the former Georgia DB awaits further test results.

Kendrick’s troubles off the court don’t end there, as a run-in with the law impacted his 2023 season. He was pulled over for a traffic violation in Los Angeles in the early morning back in October. During the stop, police found a gun in the 23-year-old’s car, and Kendrick was booked into jail.

Derion Kendrick was also previously arrested when he was at Clemson, back in March of 2021, when he was charged with unlawful carrying of a handgun. Police found him sleeping in his car at around 3 a.m. with a gun in his lap. He was also issued a citation for simple possession of marijuana. Kendrick left the program in February that year and entered the transfer portal.

Kendrick, the 2022 sixth-round pick out of Georgia, started in 12 games for the Rams this past season, posting 49 tackles (41 solo), three tackles for loss and 10 passes defended. Kendrick suited up in 15 games (six starts) during his rookie campaign, compiling 43 tackles (36 solo) and four passes defended.

Back in college, Kendrick transferred to Georgia ahead of his senior season. In 15 games with the Bulldogs, he recorded 41 tackles (24 solo) with four interceptions and three passes defended. Kendrick helped lead Georgia to a National Championship Game victory over Alabama.

A former five-star recruit in the class of 2018, Kendrick was the No. 3 cornerback in the nation per the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. The former Georgia star played his high school football at South Pointe in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Additionally, Kendrick was the No. 1 ranked recruit in South Carolina coming out of high school, and the No. 20 overall recruit in the nation, according to On3’s 2018 Consensus Top Football Recruits.

On3’s Nick Geddes also contributed to this report