The Los Angeles Rams have terminated the contract of cornerback Zech McPhearson, ending a stay that lasted less than a month and never reached the regular season, via NFL insider Aaron Wilson.

The 28-year-old was released from injured reserve Saturday with an injury settlement, according to multiple reports, freeing him to sign elsewhere in 2026.

McPhearson signed with the Rams on Aug. 9 as a veteran flyer during the expanded roster period. Fifteen days later, the team placed him on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury.

Players put on IR before final cuts typically miss the season unless they reach a settlement and are waived. That is what happened here: Los Angeles closed the book on Sept. 5.

The move is a familiar chapter in McPhearson’s recent career. Philadelphia drafted him in the fourth round (123rd overall) in 2021 out of Texas Tech after he earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.

He appeared in 33 regular-season games over his first two seasons with the Eagles, mostly as a special-teams contributor, and recorded roughly 30 tackles, one sack and two pass deflections. A torn Achilles in the 2023 preseason wiped out that year.

Philadelphia waived him in August 2024. Jacksonville signed him to the practice squad, then a reserve/future deal, before placing him on IR and releasing him in August 2025. He spent the rest of that year without a team.

For the Rams, the signing was never meant to be a featured piece of a secondary rebuilt around high-profile additions. McPhearson’s special-teams background made him a low-risk look during camp and the preseason. He recorded two tackles in exhibition play before the injury. Once he could not stay healthy, the roster math was straightforward.

The settlement matters for McPhearson. Remaining on IR would have kept him off the field for 2026. With the contract terminated, he can work out for other clubs and, if healthy enough, try to land on a practice squad or 53-man roster.

At 28, with three accrued seasons and a long injury history, that window is narrowing. Teams that value special-teams depth and a veteran who has been in winning locker rooms may still take a look.

For Los Angeles, the transaction is housekeeping. The Rams have already moved on at the position and are focused on a regular season that is days away.

McPhearson’s NFL story is not over, but his Rams chapter is: signed in early August, injured two weeks later, released in early September. In a league that turns over depth pieces quickly, that is often how these deals end.