Kelly is expected to work as the backup to C.J. Anderson in the event Todd Gurley (knee) and Justin Davis (shoulder) are unavailable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.
Kelly, a sixth-round pick out of Tennessee, exhibited some explosiveness during his opportunities in the preseason, but he's largely been an afterthought for the Rams since the regular season began. In fact, Kelly didn't dress for a game until Week 14, when Malcolm Brown's season-ending collarbone injury bumped him up a spot on the depth chart. It appeared the door might have open for Kelly to claim a three-down role when Gurley and Davis both came out of the Week 15 loss to the Eagles with injuries, but the recent addition of Anderson has put somewhat of a damper on the rookie's prospects. Instead, Kelly now looks like a better bet to serve as a change-of-pace option if Gurley and Davis are sidelined, taking on the bulk of the snaps on passing downs while the more experienced Anderson works as the primary ballcarrier. Regardless of how the Rams' running-back situation plays out in Week 16, there probably won't be much clarity until the team releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior the 4:05 p.m. EST kickoff.