The team announced they will opt to let the legal process play out when it comes to their receiver’s DUI troubles
The Los Angeles Rams have made a decision on the fate of WR Demarcus Robinson’s availability vs. the Saints on Sunday, opting to allow the veteran wideout to play despite his recent DUI arrest. Head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that the team will “let the legal process take place” and let the league go through its disciplinary process as well.
Robinson was arrested on suspicion of DUI after the Rams loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday night. He was reportedly driving over 100mph on U.S. 101 Northbound in Woodland Hills, CA at the time.
Earlier in the week, McVay was vague on Robinson’s status for this weekend’s game, telling reporters that the team was still gathering information about the arrest and that they had not made any determination about the wide receiver’s status vs. the Saints. That seems to have changed after some deliberation, along with Robinson taking some accountability and addressing the team directly about the situation.
“I don’t want to bring that type of light or any type of negative energy towards the team,” Robinson said. “… I just told him I sincerely apologize to him and the team and this whole organization for even putting myself and the organization in a predicament like that.”
Robinson added that hopes he can be an example so his teammates do not make the same mistakes that he did.
“It’s nothing anybody want to go through, I’m sure, but it’s all a life lesson that we all can learn from. And I definitely will take … accountability. And I’ve already learned from it. I’ve already gone through a lot of stuff to try to overcome it. So honestly, I just don’t want anybody else in our organization or the guys in our rooms to go through anything like this.”
McVay acknowledged the severity of his wide receiver’s mistake but says he appreciated Robinson’s ability to understand it as well while not minimizing the issue.
“I did appreciate his ability to acknowledge it to the team while also not minimizing or undermining the severity of what could have been,” McVay said. “And I do trust that he’s going to learn from it and I think it’ll be a good learning opportunity for our old football team. And that’s how we move forward.”
McVay added that Robinson was “remorseful” and that he understands “the severity of this and how lucky we were that nobody was injured.”
“I think it was a bad decision he made. I don’t think that makes him a bad person. And I do believe this is something that with the words that he said, our guys will learn from it, and hopefully nobody’s ever going to repeat something like this.”
It certainly is a black mark on what has been a solid season for Robinson who has 26 catches, 384 yards and a career-high six touchdown catches. Robinson joined the Rams last season and played well enough to earn another 1-yr, $4 million dollar contract in the offseason to stay in Los Angeles.
The Rams currently sit at 5-6 and in third place in the NFC West. At this point, LA pretty much needs to win out the rest of the season to have hope of making the playoffs. Robinson being on the field only helps the team’s chances of putting a W in the win column on Sunday, as long as his recent troubles with the law do not become a distraction.
