The Los Angeles Rams have a critical Week 14 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on the slate for Monday Night Football, but just hours ahead of kickoff the Rams were dealt a brutal blow. According to NFL insider Lindsey Thiry, the Rams added star cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Tyler Higbee to the COVID list on Monday.

Both players will be forced to miss the rivalry game, in what is a significant loss for the Rams on both sides of the football. At 8-4, the Rams are two games behind the Cardinals in the NFC West division. A win on Monday would go a long way towards narrowing the gap between the two sides, but losing their marquee cornerback and their No. 1 tight end will be difficult to manage.

In Ramsey's absence, it's anticipated David Long Jr. will see an increase in snaps. Long has featured in 11 games for the Rams this year, starting four. He's recorded 26 tackles, four pass defenses, and one interception this season, playing his biggest role for the team since being drafted in the third round in 2019.

As for potential Higbee replacements, the Rams will likely call upon the likes of Kendall Blanton and Brycen Hopkins, neither of whom have featured much at all this season.

This season, Higbee has caught 44 passes for 395 yards and three touchdowns, having featured in all of the Rams' 12 games thus far into the year. As for Ramsey, the two-time All-Pro has 59 tackles, three interceptions, 11 pass defenses, and one forced fumble across 12 games in 2021. Both are due to miss their first game of the season following their positive COVID tests.