The Rams Training Camp Battle Nobody Is Talking About Could Have a Big Impact

One of the priorities for the Los Angeles Rams this offseason is to fix the special teams unit that ranked 26th in DVOA last season and cost the team multiple games. Their field goal unit ranked 30th and their punt unit ranked 28th.

Special teams gaffes were a common theme of the 2025 season for the Rams. In Week 3, the Rams lost to the Philadelphia Eagles after having two field goals blocked. Later in the season, in Week 16, it was a Rashid Shaheed punt return that helped give the Seattle Seahawks momentum in their 16-point comeback. While it didn’t cost them, the Rams had a punt blocked in the Wild Card playoff win against the Carolina Panthers.

Head coach Sean McVay had never made a coordinator change in-season. The Rams’ special teams was so bad that McVay fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn in the middle of the season.

It may not have been the sole reason for the loss, but Xavier Smith muffed a punt in the NFC Championship that resulted in a Seahawks touchdown on the very next play.

Rams Overhaul Special Teams Coaching Staff

The Rams didn’t make many personnel changes on special teams this offseason. They kept kicker Harrison Mevis, who had a miss in the Week 16 loss to the Seahawks. Punter Ethan Evans remained on the roster despite being below average for much of the season. The only changes the Rams made were hiring Bubba Ventrone and Kyle Hoke to coach special teams, and then signing long-snapper Joe Cardona and linebacker Grant Stuard. Cardona and Stuard will provide some experience on the special teams unit.

“It's a new season and I'm coming in here with a clean slate.” said Ventrone. “We've acquired a handful of really talented football players and guys like Grant Stuard and Joe Cardona, who I've both had experience with and I’m excited about working with those guys. But I think it comes down to really establishing your football philosophy and what you believe in and things like that.”

Ventrone mentioned the importance of fundamentals, which is something that the Rams lacked last season. While Ventrone had mixed results with the Cleveland Browns, he was considered one of the best special teams coordinators in his time with the Indianapolis Colts.

Rams Creating Competition at Punt Returner

With a new coordinator, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see the Rams bring in competition for Mevis or Evans. However, that wasn’t the case. Still, that doesn’t mean competition isn’t happening in other areas.

In 2017, Pharoh Cooper had been voted to the Pro Bowl as a punt returner. With that said, Cooper fumbled twice in the first quarter of the Wild Card playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons. On the first fumble, Cooper didn’t make the call for the punt unit to get out of the way. Cooper then fumbled a kick return. Both errors led to 10 points for the Falcons and the Rams lost 26-13. He spent much of the 2018 season on injured reserve before he was released.

Smith’s muffed punt in the NFC Championship played a similar role in the Rams’ loss. It appears that the team is looking to make a change or at least add some competition. In the early days of training camp, running back Kyren Williams has been fielding punts.

Rams RB Kyren Williams has been taking reps at punt returner this training camp...

Will we see him in that role this year?@Kyrenwilliams23 | @RamsNFL | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/JDp1qs4gqA
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 28, 2026

Following Smith’s muffed punt, the Rams placed Williams back to field punts for the rest of the game. It was a similar philosophy to the Rams having Cooper Kupp return punts during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Rams simply wanted someone they could rely on in that spot rather than the fourth or fifth wide receiver on the depth chart.

“We have a lot of options back there,” said Ventrone. “Xavier is going to keep developing. We're going to keep training him. I think Kyren is an option…Competition brings out the best in everybody so we're going to get guys opportunities and we'll see what happens.”

Why the Rams' Punt Return Battle Matters

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Smith retain punt return duties, but the Rams are at least adding some competition at a spot that cost them last season. Smith averaged 9.3 yards per return in 2025, which ranked 17th in the NFL.

Williams taking reps as a punt returner could also signal the Rams looking to keep just five wide receivers. Smith is the team’s only true deep threat, but if the Rams are moving to more 13 personnel, and Terrance Ferguson takes on the role of stretching the field, Smith's offensive role could become significantly reduced.

While the position battles at quarterback, WR3, and cornerback have been discussed at length, a punt return competition has slid under the radar. Even if changes aren’t made, it’s a sign that the Rams aren’t content with what happened on special teams last season and are looking for more consistency. With the Rams in an 'all-in' season, they are doing what they can to ensure special teams aren’t the reason they don’t reach their ceiling.

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