The Los Angeles Rams will be without cornerback Darious Williams for at least the first four games of the NFL season after placing the former UAB standout on injured reserve on Thursday.

Williams dealt with a hamstring issue throughout training camp and the preseason.

Over the past three seasons, opposing quarterbacks have compiled a 75.8 passing-efficiency rating when throwing to receivers covered by Williams. No player in the NFL who has been targeted at least as much as Williams has owns a better rating over that span.

The Rams are scheduled to kick off their season against the Detroit Lions at 7:20 p.m. CDT Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit. NBC will televise the game.

League rules require that Williams miss at least four games after receiving the injured-reserve designation. After the Lions, Los Angeles plays the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 15, San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 22 and Chicago Bears on Sept. 29 to open the season.

Williams returned to Los Angeles in March after spending the previous two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. An undrafted rookie, Williams joined the Rams during the 2018 and became a full-time starter in 2020. His most recent game for Los Angeles was the Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, when he led the team with eight tackles and broke up a pass.

At UAB, Williams earned All-Conference USA recognition and Pro Football Focus named him a first-team All-American in 2017.

In 80 NFL regular-season games, Williams has 236 tackles, 10 interceptions and 62 passes defended. He has returned an interception and a fumble for touchdowns.

In eight postseason games, Williams has 37 tackles, one interception and six passes defended. He returned the interception 42 yards for a touchdown in a 30-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 9, 2021.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.