Chris Paul Jr.'s Los Angeles Rams tenure lasted exactly one training camp. But a year later, the door might not be fully closed on him suiting up for the team that drafted him in 2025.
The Seattle Seahawks released the linebacker with an injury designation this week, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, and he'll revert to Seattle's injured reserve if he goes unclaimed. That status makes him technically available — and reopens a question Rams fans have asked since last summer: was cutting him a mistake?
Los Angeles traded up 29 spots to take Paul 172nd overall out of Ole Miss in the 2025 draft, surrendering the 201st and 202nd picks to do it. The move price alone signaled how much the front office liked him. But a calf injury slowed his camp. Paul instead
played extensively in the finale against Cleveland, a sign the coaching staff hadn't seen enough. He was among the Rams' final cuts on August 26, with Sean McVay offering him "nothing but the best" on his way out. Paul signed with Seattle's practice squad two days later and inked a reserve/futures deal in February.
Now, though, he could be looking for another team.
The practical case against a reunion is straightforward: the room he'd be walking back into isn't thin. Nate Landman and Omar Speights are entrenched as the starting inside linebackers, and Shaun Dolac — the undrafted free agent who beat Paul out for a roster spot last summer — is still on the depth chart behind Landman, along with Elias Neal and Monty Rice. Free agent pickup and special teams standout Grant Stuard and 2026 undrafted rookie Nikhai Hill-Green round out the unit. There's no obvious vacancy, and the Rams already made their evaluation once.
Still, front offices revisit these decisions all the time, especially with a player they invested draft capital to acquire. If Paul clears IR and hits the open market again, a futures-deal flier wouldn't cost the Rams much.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Should the Rams bring back this 2025 draft class castoff?
