The Los Angeles Rams will be without cornerback Jaylen Watson for the rest of the season. After re-injuring his shoulder, Watson will undergo surgery, ending his 2026. 

Watson left in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers after aggravating a shoulder injury. He had previously dislocated his shoulder in Week 3 and was forced to miss one game. Watson had played the next two games without issues, but re-injured his shoulder on Sunday. 

Head coach Sean McVay discussed Watson’s shoulder injury during his media availability on Monday and expressed optimism about his status. However, after further evaluation, it was decided that surgery was the best option. 

“We'll see what his status looks like as the week progresses,” McVay said on Monday. “Came in, had some good strength, feeling good and optimistic. We'll take his status a day at a time and see where he's at by the time the game rolls around.”

Watson now heads on injured reserve and is set to miss the rest of the year. In Watson’s place, the Rams will likely rely on Josh Wallace and Emmanuel Forbes. Wallace has filled in for both Trent McDuffie and Watson this season. He has quietly developed into a reliable depth cornerback. Wallace has allowed 0.71 yards per coverage snap in 2026, ranking 20th in the NFL among qualifying cornerbacks. Forbes has also played well in a smaller role and will be relied on going forward as well. 

Coming into the season, Watson was one of the Rams’ big offseason additions. After allowing Sam Darnold to throw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game, the Rams made it a point to rebuild their cornerback room.Watson was the team’s big free-agent signing following its trade for McDuffie.

The Rams simply can’t seem to shake the injury bug this season. It has been one injury after another all year. Two weeks ago, the Rams had to place Poona Ford, Kobie Turner, and Davante Adams on injured reserve. Just when it seemed like they were going to get healthy and get Myles Garrett and Terrance Ferguson back, the Rams had to place Watson on injured reserve. 

Losing Watson is another blow to the defense that the Rams will have to manage over the second half of the season. Wallace and Forbes have shown that they can step up when needed, but Watson being out for the year is still a significant loss for a secondary that had finally started to find its footing.