Rams Linebacker Byron Young Appears on Injury Report Ahead of International Season Opener vs. 49ers

Los Angeles Rams linebacker and former Tennessee standout Byron Young was listed on the team’s injury report ahead of its Week 1 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, though the designation appears precautionary.

Young, a third-round pick (No. 77 overall) by the Rams in the 2023 NFL draft, did not participate in Tuesday’s practice. His status was listed as “not injury related – resting player,” suggesting the absence was maintenance rather than a physical setback.

The Rams-49ers game is the second contest of the NFL’s 2026 regular season. The league opens Wednesday night with a Super Bowl rematch between Seattle and New England at Lumen Field, slated for 8:20 p.m. EDT on NBC. Thursday’s Los Angeles–San Francisco game, which kicks off at 8:35 p.m. EDT, will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia and streamed on Netflix — a notable international expansion for the league’s broadcast footprint.

Young arrived at Tennessee in 2021 after transferring from Georgia Military College and played two seasons under head coach Josh Heupel. He earned All-SEC honors in 2022 after tallying 83 tackles, 23.5 tackles for a loss, 12.5 sacks, one interception and two pass deflections across 24 games with 21 starts.

Media angle: NBC parent under pressure

The season opener’s broadcast rights touch on the corporate side of the sports business. NBC, which airs Wednesday’s kickoff, is part of Comcast’s media portfolio. Comcast shares traded at $24.58 on Tuesday, down 6.63% from the prior close of $26.33, giving the media and telecom giant a market capitalization of roughly $92.5 billion. The movement in Comcast stock comes as media companies continue to invest heavily in live sports rights, which remain among the most valuable properties in television. Netflix’s carrying of a regular-season game from Australia underscores how streaming platforms are carving into what was once exclusively linear broadcast territory.

Whether Young suits up Thursday will be clarified as kickoff approaches, but the “resting player” label indicates the Rams may simply be managing workload for the linebacker heading into a season opener played far from home.

What to watch

• Young’s status on the Rams’ final injury report before Thursday’s kickoff in Melbourne.
• Viewership figures for the Netflix-streamed international opener and NBC’s Super Bowl rematch telecast.
• Further movement in Comcast shares as NFL broadcast season begins.

Source: original release