The San Francisco 49ers just snatched up Xavier Smith for their practice squad, less than a month after he played against them as a division rival with the Los Angeles Rams. Yeah, you heard that right. And if the name Xavier Smith sounds familiar to you, Seattle, it’s probably for all the right reasons if you bleed green and blue, and all the wrong ones for Rams fans.
The Play That Still Rings in Our Ears From 2025
Let’s just get this out of the way, because it’s probably the first thing that popped into your head, too. Smith’s tenure with the Rams as a special teams guy was, well, rough. We’re talking “modern Az-Zahir Hakim but for only the wrong reasons” rough. He famously muffed not one, but *two* punts against our Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 NFC Championship game! Remember that? The second one was recovered by the other team, a play that absolutely helped turn the tide in that epic matchup. It was a glaring sign that the Rams’ big offseason plans to step up their special teams totally backfired. Now he’s in Santa Clara. You just know Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch are hoping that specific “give it to ya” tendency stays in L.A.
From Promising Receiver to Waived After Special Teams Woes
It wasn’t all bad for Smith in L.A., at least not on paper at first. He surprisingly hauled in 303 receiving yards in 2025. You’d think with the Rams needing help at receiver at various points in the season, Sean McVay would have found a way to use that. But apparently, McVay saw “no-to-little potential” in him on offense. Instead, the focus was squarely on his special teams performance, which was, to put it mildly, underwhelming. The guy ranked 49th in average kick return yards out of 50 qualified players, clocking in at a measly 20.6 yards. With Puka Nacua back in Week 4 against the Eagles, and Smith’s disappointing plays, it was no shock he got waived to make room for guys like C.J. Daniels and Alex Bachman, with Bachman stepping in as their new return man. The writing was on the wall.
What This Means For the Niners (And What We’ll Be Watching)
So, the 49ers snatched him up. Why? Well, they’re always churning through receiver options, constantly looking for that next spark. They even brought in another former Rams player, 33-year-old Brandin Cooks, who made his 49ers debut in Week 4 with one target and zero catches. The Niners’ current punter returner, Jacob Cowing, is averaging a meager 5.0 yards per return on five attempts. That’s not exactly inspiring anyone. Smith will start on the practice squad, but you just know the 49ers are hoping he can be a quick elevation as a returner. They’re clearly looking for someone, anyone, to spark that unit. We’ll be keeping an eagle eye on this one, Emerald City. Will Smith get elevated? And if he does, will those muffed punt memories against our Hawks come flooding back when he’s facing us, but wearing red and gold? You better believe it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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