It was peculiar when the Los Angeles Rams stood pat and did not acquire a return specialist over the offseason. The memory of Xavier Smith muffing a punt deep in LA territory to effective spot the Seattle Seahawks a touchdown during the NFC Championship game is unshakable.
But Smith doesn’t seem to be the answer for 2026 either. The Rams have seemingly lost confidence in his sure-handedness.
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Instead, LA seems set on deploying veteran running back Kyren Williams as the primary punt returner. That is even more peculiar than doing nothing over the offseason. There are several tangential questions that come to mind if Williams truly does hold onto this role.
This is a Rams whodunnit. It’s time to put on our detective caps and get to the bottom of this mystery.
1 – Does Smith have a place on the roster?
One element working in Smith’s favor in terms of making the team is that he’s probably the fastest and most true vertical threat the Rams have at receiver. He showed flashes late last year and into the playoffs that he could potentially be a more affordable alternative to Tutu Atwell’s contributions. Filling such a role is inherently valuable in a receiving corps that generally lacks long speed.
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But there seems to be no possible way that Los Angeles could keep Smith if his utility on special teams comes to an end, unless he can carve out a role outside of his traditional usage as the returner.
The Rams seem set with at least their top five receivers. They may also need to keep five tight ends in order to deploy their heavier personnel packages and insure against the inevitability of injury.
Receivers:
Tight Ends:
These two positions will trend together to play into a numbers crunch. Smith seems like the obvious and easiest first man out.
2 – What does this say about Williams?
There’s no doubt that Blake Corum is an emerging player in the backfield. He rushed for over 700 yards and cut Williams workload to roughly 52% of the team’s overall carries.
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Could Corum unseat Williams as the top back in 2026? Crazier things have happened. Corum is the more explosive runner.
What if the Rams are content trotting Williams out as the punt returner because they realize he is losing ground to Corum? It would be mildly surprising but it does make sense on the surface that they’d tried to find utility for him elsewhere.
LA historically does not invest in veteran running backs following the Todd Gurley dilemma. They made an exception with Williams. On the other hand, it does seem odd that they’d use their most expensive running back as a returner.
One important note to keep in mind: Williams’ contract suggests this is his last year with the team.
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3 – Can returner be addressed later?
It does seem plausible that the Rams could find a return man when the rest of the NFL cuts down to their 53-man rosters. It’s how they’ve found the likes of Jojo Natson and others over the years.
This year could be different. Making the initial 53 in Los Angeles in 2026 is no small task. This is one of the most competitive roster battles we’ve seen in during the Sean McVay era.
Would the Rams really feel comfortable moving on from a known commodity in order to bring in an outside player for a niche role? It feels unlikely right now.
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