The Los Angeles Rams traded for receiver Tutu Atwell from the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, reuniting the team with a player who has spent his entire career playing for Sean McVay. In return, the Rams sent running back Jarquez Hunter to the Dolphins after it became apparent that the 2025 fourth-round pick had fallen out of favor with McVay, and was no better than fourth on the depth chart.
Atwell was drafted by the Rams in the second round of the 2021 draft, but was allowed to leave in free agency after
a disappointing 2025 campaign in which he was paid $10 million for six catches. He signed with Miami as a free agent but apparently that did not go well enough to stick.
Before 2026 properly begins, he is back with the Rams as Hunter heads towards his new home.
Atwell spent five years with the Rams — mostly up and down — before he headed to Miami.
It was the fifth season that really hurt the most, as Atwell was targeted 15 times despite the eight-figure salary that Les Snead paid him to stay in L.A.. By trading for his return, the Rams seem to believe that he’ll be in a better personnel situation in 2026 than he was dealt in 2025.
For Hunter, he was taken by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft but was not able to beat out Ronnie Rivers for the team’s depth role behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. McVay endorsed Rivers as a player he “trusts” and the coach clearly didn’t see any ways to use Hunter moving forward. Despite his strong performance in the preseason, Hunter has not clear role on a team with two starting quality backs.
With the Rams trading for Atwell, he seems like a sure thing to make the roster, so who will the Rams let go in his place? Because it did not seem like Hunter was going to make the 53-man roster at all. Could this be bad news for C.J. Daniels?
We’ll find out by Sunday’s final cuts.
