The Rams re-signed Tutu Atwell. It’s time for the fanbase to finally accept him

The Rams re-signed Tutu Atwell for $10M. Was it a smart move or an overpay?

The Los Angeles Rams made the controversial decision on Thursday to re-sign wide receiver Tutu Atwell. To say there were mixed feelings about the signing within the Rams fanbase would be a giant understatement.

When it comes to the relationship between the Rams fanbase and Atwell, it is a rocky one. To understand it fully, you have to go back to draft night in 2021. The Rams went into the offseason needing a center. Sitting there with the 57th overall pick was the best center in the draft in Creed Humphrey.

Instead, the Rams drafted wide receiver Tutu Atwell out of Louisville at 5’8, 155 pounds. Atwell has 1,343 receiving yards in his career while Humphrey is a two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler at center.

To this day, I’m not fully convinced Atwell was the player the Rams originally targeted or that they didn’t panic when they were on the clock. With the pick before, the Seattle Seahawks selected D’Wayne Eskridge out of Western Michigan. Eskridge played bigger than his size and showed strong upside as a blocker, had experience as a returner, and had great run after the catch ability. While Eskridge was a little rough as a route-runner, he was a player that the Rams met with pre-draft. The Rams potentially diverted to Atwell who was of a similar build.

Atwell hasn’t necessarily made the impact that some expected from a second-round pick. With that said, it’s also fair to say that his level has been much better over the last two seasons. The former 57th overall pick was the ninth drafted wide receiver in 2021. Among players in the 2021 draft class, Atwell ranked ninth in receptions and yards last season. Over the last two seasons, he ranks eighth in receptions and 10th in yards among receivers. Compared with other wide receivers selected in the 2021 draft class, Atwell has fit in right where he was selected and he’s actually out-performed other players that were drafted ahead of him such as Eskridge and Kadarius Toney.

These situations happen all the time in the NFL. It happened in 2010 when the Philadelphia Eagles took Brandon Graham over Earl Thomas or when the Rams took Brian Quick over Alshon Jeffrey. The player selected gets unfairly criticized and the bar gets set much higher.

The negativity surrounding Atwell seems to come from two things that he can’t control — his size and where he was drafted. In four years, he has one fumble that he didn’t lose. His drop rate has never ranked inside the top-20 as he’s never had more than three in one season.

Over the last two years, Atwell is a player that has stepped up and risen to the occasion when given the opportunity. Head coach Sean McVay has said as much. Back in 2022 when Atwell stepped in for an injured Kupp, “He probably should have gotten more opportunities earlier in the season,” said McVay. “All this guy has done is answer the bell when he’s had his chances.”

McVay said as much again last season following a big comeback win against the San Francisco 49ers. Atwell had four catches for 93 yards in that game and he drew a 48-yard defensive pass interference penalty. Said McVay after the game, “Tutu made some big plays for us. He knew that he was going to get an opportunity and he delivered.”

Talent, skill, and production are not the issues with Atwell. He ranked 23rd in targets per route and 19th in yards per route this season. Usage is the primary issue here and the fact that the Rams have decided to pay him is a sign that hopefully changes. His route-running and ability to create space has improved greatly. Atwell was the second-most open wide receiver on the Rams in 2024. He averaged 3.4 yards of separation according to NFL Pro which was the 12th most. While he’s not an impact run-blocker, he holds his own when asked to do it.

The hope here is that after paying Atwell, his usage goes up and McVay incorporates him into the offense. Atwell’s $10 million deal can be thought of in a similar way as a fifth-year option for a rookie wide receiver. However, in this case, the Rams are paying Atwell $10 million rather than the usual $14.3 million for a fifth-year basic salary.

Much of the debate surrounding Atwell’s re-signing isn’t about his performance, but rather the price tag attached to it. Like his draft slot, his contract value is another factor outside of his control that has fueled criticism. With that said, the issue here isn’t that the Rams paid a third wide receiver $10 million, but the fact of who the Rams decided to pay.

Had the Rams decided to pay Demarcus Robinson, this likely isn’t even a conversation. However, from Week 14 on (minus Week 18), Robinson caught just four of 14 targets and had two drops. He went four straight games without a catch. Last season he was the worst run-blocking wide receiver on the team via PFF and was arrested late in the year for a DUI.

In nearly twice the number of routes, Atwell had more receptions and more yards than Robinson. He also was targeted more and had a 17 percent higher catch rate.

The $10 million contract says less about Atwell than it does about the salary cap. Entering the 2025 offseason, the salary cap is $279.2 million. The $10 million salary for Atwell is approximately 3.6 percent of the overall cap. In 2021, 3.6 percent of the cap was 6.5 million. Relative to the cap, Atwell’s contract is only marginally higher than Keelan Cole’s in 2021 at 5.5 million.

At the end of the day, Atwell will be the 22nd-highest paid wide receiver in 2025. That will likely go further down as Chris Godwin, Davante Adams, and others get paid. His average of $10 million will rank 33rd. It’s also not as if the Rams made a huge commitment. It’s a one-year deal and if it works, both sides benefit.

The best contracts are ones that are paid for future value rather than based on past performance. There is some projection here based on the Rams’ ability to utilize Atwell more. However, if they are, it could work out well.

From Weeks 3-6 last year, Atwell played 81 percent of the offensive snaps and averaged 5 catches for 71 yards. Over the course of a season, that projects to 85 catches for 1,200 yards. Combining his eight games in 2023 and 2024 in which he played as a top two receiver, Atwell had 42 receptions for 554 yards. Again, that comes out to 89 catches for 1,177 yards. It’s a small sample, but the production is clearly there.

There can be a role for Atwell in the offense and without Robinson and Kupp he’ll have the opportunity. One thing that gets lost with Atwell in the Rams’ offense is how much he can unlock with pre-snap motion. The pace of the motion and the “cheat motion” aspect make him problematic. From a speed motion standpoint in stacked formations, he can be very difficult to defend.

This is not to say that Atwell is perfect or that he comes without issues. He doesn’t necessarily solve all of their problems. The Rams need a player that can create outside of the offensive system. He has two missed tackles forced over the last two seasons and his 2.9 yards after the catch per reception last year ranked 94th out of 113 qualifying wide receivers. He wasn’t better in 2023 with just 2.8 yards after the catch per reception. That ranked 97th out of 112 qualifying wide receivers.

That doesn’t have anything to do with his size or ability to break tackles, but rather his elusiveness. Atwell had .02 and .03 missed tackles forced per reception in 2023 and 2024 which was last among Rams receivers.

Due to his size, he’s also a lack of a threat in the red zone. He didn’t have a single end zone target last year. However, it is worth mentioning that he caught two of four end zone targets in 2023.

Just because the Rams re-signed Tutu Atwell, it doesn’t take away their ability to also sign or draft another player at the position. This is more about the Rams not bringing back Robinson than it is the team not adding another wide receiver. They can still draft a wide receiver at 26 or in the third round. With $42 million in cap space, they could also sign a player like Chris Godwin or Davante Adams if that’s something that they want to do. If a trade opportunity presents itself, that is also still on the table. Re-signing Atwell doesn’t hinder any of that. It’s not an ‘either-or’ situation.

The fact of the matter is, we are now going into year five of Tutu Atwell and when given opportunities he’s made plays. However, because of something outside of Atwell’s control that happened on draft night and because he doesn’t look like a standard NFL wide receiver, he’s not typically well-received.

Heading into 2025, the Rams will be working to rebuild their offense and more specifically the wide receiver room. By bringing Atwell back, the Rams and McVay have made their stance clear—he’s part of their vision moving forward. Whether or not he lives up to that faith will ultimately depend on how he’s utilized, but one thing is certain: at this point, he’s earned the chance to prove it.