Tutu Atwell is coming back to the Los Angeles Rams thanks to a trade with the Miami Dolphins
on Thursday.The Rams brought the veteran wide receiver back to the fold in exchange for running back Jarquez Hunter, who was right on the fringes of the roster with cutdown day looming this weekend.
It’s entirely possibly that Atwell immediately takes that same place on the very edge of the roster bubble, even at a different position, but it’s hard to imagine Les Snead and Sean McVay would bring back an old
friend via just to dump him a matter of days later. So, it’s at least relatively safe to assume Atwell will make the initial 53-man roster.
What will he actually bring to the table in 2026, though? History tells us it probably won’t be much.
The 2021 second-round pick spent the first five seasons of his career in Los Angeles, even receiving a second (albeit cheap and short-term) contract from the Rams in the process. In those five years, Atwell averaged 48 targets and 28 receptions per year, 408 yards and one touchdown per season. Those aren’t exactly earth-shattering numbers.
He’s speedy, but is one of the most undersized players in the NFL at just 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds. All told, it’s a curious fit at this point with this roster.
The Rams’ top two receivers are set in stone. Jordan Whittington is in a strong position for the WR3 role and second-year project Konata Mumpfield recently drew praise from Sean McVay. C.J. Daniels has had a highly touted training camp and preseason, and Brennan Presley made his case in the preseason opener. Before getting to the rest of the depth, that’s plenty of standouts and potential contributors already in the running for roster spots on a team that will also keep (and heavily use) multiple tight ends.
It will already be hard enough for him to get on the field, so what is a reasonable expectation for his production? If he followed his historical trend and finished with 28 receptions, 408 yards and a touchdown, that would be a productive season for a WR4 or 5, but is it worth taking 48 targets away from Daniels, Presley, etc.?
That’s a challenging argument to make, but if you want to make the charitable case, sometimes the devil you know is preferable to the one you don’t. Rookie receivers are notoriously volatile, so maybe the idea is that getting Atwell on the field a bit more at least early in 2026 will help ease the transition for a guy like Daniels.
Clearly, the Rams have a vision for Atwell. They wouldn’t have made this deal if they didn’t. And more often than not, the Snead-McVay brain trust deserves the benefit of the doubt. But for a creative and innovative offense to add back a player that even it couldn’t find a way to use consistently for the last half decade, it’s fair to raise an eyebrow at this move.
