Sean McVay’s latest comments prove Los Angeles Rams controversial offseason decision has backfired spectacularly
The Rams decision to extend wide receiver Tutu Atwell already looks like a massive failure for the front office.
The Los Angeles Rams made a number of bold and shrewd signings in the offseason leading up to the 2025 season. The team signed star wide receiver Davante Adams, adding a perimeter threat to open the passing offense, and added defenders like Poona Ford and Nate Landman to shore up their run defense as part of their preparation to take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, one move in the offseason already looks like it has backfired in a hilarious way for the Rams. Los Angeles bizarrely signed wide receiver Tutu Atwell to a one-year, fully guaranteed $10 million deal instead of letting him hit free agency. At the time, that move was met with plenty of skepticism, as Atwell has never been an impact player or even a full-time starter on the Rams. That ten million in guaranteed money is roughly the same as a first-round pick gets in guarantees, so it felt like a massive overpay for such a niche and unreliable role player.
Fans defended the move at the time, but so far in 2025, it looks like it was a massive swing and miss. That ten million in cap space could have been used to shore up other areas of the team, and instead it’s likely going to waste away on the bench. Based on Sean McVay’s comments after their loss to the Eagles, that fact doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.
Tutu Atwell’s Career with the Rams
- Atwell was a second-round pick of the Rams in the 2021 NFL Draft, with the Rams selecting him 57th overall
- Atwell missed the last half of his rookie season with a back injury after recording zero receptions in his first eight games
- In his last three seasons, Atwell has recorded 100 catches for 1,347 yards and four touchdowns
The Tutu Atwell Experiment Has Failed
When the Rams drafted Atwell in 2021, wide receivers coach Eric Yarber had envisioned making Atwell the next Desean Jackson who would open up the Rams’ vertical passing offense and give the team an elite returner to fix their special teams woes. Neither of those visions came to fruition. Atwell’s career yards per target is just 8.1, while his longest kick return was just 25 yards and he hasn’t returned a kick since his rookie season in 2021.
Despite that, the team has kept him around all these years trying to unlock what he could be. Last year, however, it became abundantly clear that McVay realized he simply could not trust Atwell to be a full-time starter, even when Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua missed time. Atwell’s slight frame made him a non-factor in the run game, and he finished second on the team in drops despite his limited playing time.
Which made it even more bizarre that the Rams decided to extend Atwell in the offseason. What was a bizarre decision then looks even worse now after Atwell’s beginning to 2025. Atwell is fourth among Rams’ receivers in snaps, taking a backburner to Jordan Whittington as their WR3. Despite running the fourth-most routes on the team, Atwell has been targeted three times in three games, catching one pass for four yards.
When asked about Atwell’s usage, McVay hinted that he likely won’t see a big change in his target percentage, given the prowess of Adams and Nacua.
“He’s doing what he can control. I think in a lot of instances, our job is to try to be able to win the game…. Our job is to move the ball and score points. We moved the ball pretty well I thought offensively yesterday. I think a lot of stuff is made of just trying to maximize guys and there’s only one football…I have been pleased with some of the different things that we were able to do yesterday offensively and we’ll keep growing from it and I want to try to be able to figure out a way to get him involved. It still is about moving the ball, scoring points and those are the things that I’m the most interested in while still taking advantage of guy’s skill sets.”
Given that Atwell is almost a full tell for defenses that the Rams are going to pass the ball, it’s hard to really complain about McVay’s plan. Just 17 of Atwell’s 76 snaps have been running plays, making him an almost overwhelming tell that the Rams are going to pass the ball. To maintain their unpredictability, it’s not a surprise that the Rams have opted for Whittington, who is a better all-around player.
For now, the Rams and McVay seem secure in how Atwell is “handling” his current role with some vague hints about getting him involved down the line. However, history has told us that this seems fairly unlikely to happen, making this contract another gaffe for the Rams’ front office in free agency.
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