Alright, so the Rams actually *won* against the Eagles last Sunday, a 24-20 road victory on October 4, 2026. But even with the win, one thing stood out like a sore thumb for LA: Britain Covey. That dude, rocking #85 for Philly, spent last training camp with the Rams, and watching him play well for the Eagles was just a brutal reminder of how little attention LA still pays to special teams.
A Missed Opportunity That Just Keeps Hurting
Seriously, remember last year? The Rams chose Xavier Smith over Covey out of training camp. And what happened? Smith fumbled a punt return in the NFC Championship game. You just can’t make this stuff up! In 2024, Smith returned 16 punts for just 149 yards, a measly 9.3 average. He never hit the end zone and only broke one return for over 20 yards. Plus, he had the sixth-most fair catches in the league with 20. When Covey lost his punt return job in Philly to then-rookie Cooper DeJean, making him ‘expendable,’ the Rams brought him in to compete with Smith. But ‘compete’ is a strong word, because there was no real preseason or camp competition! Smith was sidelined as LA’s returner in the preseason. Instead, only Covey, Drake Stoops, and Brennan Presley fielded punts in the 2025 exhibition games. Covey wasn’t going to make the roster as a pure receiver, so he got cut. Poof! Back to Philly he went. And what did he do there? In the 2025 regular season, Covey returned 11 punts for 124 yards, an 11.3 average, with one broken off for longer than 20 yards. Meanwhile, Smith kept doing his thing, averaging 9.3 yards again on an increased volume of 27 returns, though he did manage three returns over 20 yards with a long of 31.
Still Searching for Answers and Getting Bottom-Tier Results
Fast forward to last Sunday, October 4, 2026, and the situation looks even worse for the Rams. Covey, the guy they let walk, was a beast, returning three punts for 59 yards at a ridiculous 19.7 average, including that massive 41-yarder! And on the flip side? Smith got cut leading up to the game. His replacement, Alex Bachman, had three opportunities and managed a pathetic average of just 7.5 yards. On the season so far, Covey is ranked eighth in punt return average across the entire NFL and already has two returns longer than 20 yards. The Rams? They’re getting bottom of the league production from their specialists. That’s not just a little problem, that’s a HUGE problem. Poor starting field position makes life way harder for Matthew Stafford and the offense. It definitely helps explain some of the struggles they’ve had, especially when you think back to how good that unit was just a year ago.
So, yeah, the Rams snagged a win against the Eagles, but this special teams mess isn’t going anywhere. It’s an issue that spans broader than a single bad decision surrounding which punt returner to keep; it’s a pattern of poor missteps. Covey is just a symbol of that dysfunction, and the fact he’s playing so well after they let him go has to sting. They’ve gotta figure this out. Fast. Otherwise, their offense is gonna keep getting stuck in deep territory, and that’s just a recipe for disaster down the line.
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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