Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods will not be playing in this weekend’s Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Woods torn the ACL in his left knee during a practice in mid-November and has had to watch the team play on without him ever since.
According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, Woods said it was difficult for him to accept not being able to contribute to the team after his injury. However, he’s now come to terms with that reality and is excited the team is back in the Super Bowl for the second time in four seasons.
“I feel like recently I was able to overcome that feeling of like ‘Ah man, not being a part of it,’” Woods said. “I feel like the team has been really, really big on like ‘You’re a part of this, you’re a part of this, you’re a part of this.’ Initially, you’re fresh out of being injured, fresh out of surgery and you’re like ‘Man, I was just doing that a few weeks ago’ ... But really, I feel like I was able to get past that and able to really enjoy this whole playoff experience.”
Woods was on pace toward posting his third 1,000-yard season in his last four seasons with the Rams. The team had just acquired Odell Beckham Jr. in a trade from the Cleveland Browns the day before Woods blew out his knee. They never got the chance to play together this season with Beckham sliding into Woods’ role in the Rams’ offense.
But while Woods hasn’t been able to take part in the last two months, he knows he’ll get a ring all the same if the team can beat the Bengals this Sunday.
“Yeah, I didn’t play all 17, but I’m a part of this championship team,” Woods said. “Hopefully we win it, but there’s gonna be a stone in there for me, for my work. We all going to be a part of this. We’re all going to get a part of that ring whatever it is.”
