The end of Xavier Smith's 2025 season could be summed up by one word: tragic. A special teams ace who burst onto the scene in 2024, Smith was set to break out in 2025. After winning the punt returner job and having an excellent preseason, Smith began to carve out a role in the offense.
It was a small, limited one, but a solid performance against the Carolina Panthers, and a decreasing role for Tutu Atwell saw Smith's special teams role diminish in exchange for more offensive snaps.
He rode that momentum all the way until the NFC Championship game. Two muffed punts, with one resulting in a recovery by the Seahawks that immediately turned into a touchdown, were among the many errors committed by the Rams that ended their season.
Now in 2026, Smith's
future has never been in greater doubt. Playing on a cheap one-year deal as an exclusive rights free agent, Smith's roles on offense and special teams are being threatened. CJ Daniels has been a standout at receiver, building early chemistry with Matthew Stafford.
Kyren Williams has been taking more snaps as a punt returner and replaced Smith in that role after his second muff against the Seahawks. On top of that, Williams' running back role could slightly decrease due to the emergence of Blake Corum, giving him the break needed to return kicks.
The Rams are also a team that doesn't mind a fair catch on every punt. As much as everyone loves a return, there's little chance the Rams would want to risk taking the ball away from Stafford.
So, where does that leave Smith? All we know is that Smith was excellent during the team's preseason contests, and if he hopes to retain his role, he'll need to show the same jump in growth he did last year – this time as the team is in the midst of a backup quarterback battle.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Xavier Smith in precarious position as Rams assemble their roster
