Jared Goff, Todd Gurley among Rams who won’t play vs. 49ers

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed on Wednesday that some big-name players won’t play against the San Francisco 49ers. Those players include quarterback Jared Goff, running back Todd Gurley, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan, according to Rich Hammond of the Southern California News Group.

This is good news for the 49ers given they want a win, but it’s going to be diminished without the best players on Los Angeles’ roster in action. I’m a big believer in wins mattering more than a couple draft spots, so I would never want the 49ers to tank, but a win over the Rams without Gurley, Donald and Goff would sure feel hollow.

At this point, though, it’s all about continuing to evaluate the young players. Kyle Shanahan needs as much time as he can get with his guys before a long offseason of what will hopefully be improvement.

I think Donald is the one that helps the 49ers the most, at least when it comes to keeping everyone healthy. Donald has a legitimate claim to being considered the best defensive player in the entire NFL. Not having to worry about him chasing down and destroying Jimmy Garoppolo is a relief.

Sean Mannion should get the start at quarterback with Goff out. Hopefully, the 49ers can make it a tough day for him.