Remember that guy, Xavier Smith? The one who fumbled against *our* Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 NFC Championship game, leading directly to a Seattle touchdown and our win? Yeah, *that* Xavier Smith is back with the Los Angeles Rams. They just placed another receiver, Jordan Whittington, on injured reserve this week with a back injury, meaning he’s out at least four games, and L.A. is scrambling to fill the void.
The Injury Bug Bites Hard in SoCal
Whittington’s injury is just the latest hit to a Rams receiving corps that’s already looking rough. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are already on injured reserve, so Whittington was actually in line for some serious reps before he went down. He had just four targets this season, catching two passes for 12 yards, but his rookie year in 2024 saw him pull in 22 catches for 293 yards. Now, that opportunity goes to someone else, and for the Rams, that someone else is Xavier Smith.
The rest of their current receiving room? It’s Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell, and C.J. Daniels. Mumpfield leads all active Rams receivers with 11 catches for 162 yards. But let’s be real, take away one 48-yard practically-uncovered catch against the Broncos, and he’s got 10 catches for 114 yards and zero touchdowns in his other eight games. He only had two catches for 20 yards last week. Yikes. Atwell, who they traded for at the start of the season, has been targeted nine times in the past two games, catching four passes for 68 yards. And C.J. Daniels? He hasn’t even been targeted yet. It’s so bad that tight end Tyler Higbee leads the team among non-injured players with 28 catches for 287 yards, and running back Kyren Williams has 36 catches for 258 yards. Their receiver depth is gone.
Smith’s Unwelcome Return to the Spotlight
So, they bring back Xavier Smith. The same guy who had one target and zero catches earlier this season before the Rams waived him a few weeks into the year after initially bringing him back as their kick and punt returner. He then went to the 49ers, who have since traded him, and now he’s back with the Rams. His 2025 season wasn’t terrible, with 18 catches for 303 yards. But for us here in the Emerald City, his biggest moment with the Rams will always be that fumble after halftime in the 2025 NFC Championship game against *our* Seattle Seahawks. We scored a touchdown right after, and we ultimately won the game. Was that play the *sole* reason they lost? No, but man, it didn’t help, did it?
Deadline Miss & What’s Next for LA
Despite rumors that L.A. even inquired about someone like Stefon Diggs, the Rams didn’t trade for any receivers at Tuesday’s deadline. This is the group they are going with, whether they like it or not. While other teams like the Chiefs grabbed Josh Downs and the 49ers picked up Keenan Allen, and Brian Thomas Jr. stayed put with the Jaguars, the Rams’ “biggest move” on deadline day was adding Smith back to their roster.
So yeah, the Rams are rolling into the rest of the season with a receiving corps that looks… well, it looks exactly like what you’d expect after this kind of injury wave and a quiet trade deadline. Let’s just say we’ll be watching to see if any more balls bounce their way. Or out of their hands.
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.
Leave a Reply