Add The California Post on Google The Los Angeles Rams’ reunion with Tutu Atwell carried an obvious implication: Was the team preparing to be without Puka Nacua?
The Rams reacquired Atwell, their second-round pick in 2021, from the Miami Dolphins for running back Jarquez Hunter on Thursday amid questions about a potential Nacua suspension stemming from multiple off-field incidents.
“It had nothing to do with that,” McVay said after the Rams’ preseason finale. “We’re familiar with Tutu. He adds depth. It gives us an opportunity to be able to have that speed element, and he can do some different things.”
McVay’s denial explains the Rams’ stated reason for the trade, but it does not resolve the uncertainty surrounding Nacua.
A woman sued Nacua in March, alleging he made an antisemitic statement and later bit her. Nacua’s attorney disputed her account and characterized the allegations as an attempted financial shakedown.
McVay said in July that the Rams were gathering information and communicating with the NFL. ESPN’s Adam Schefter later reported that league discipline, potentially including a Week 1 absence, remained possible.
Atwell would give Los Angeles experienced depth if Nacua misses time, but he is not a direct replacement. Nacua is an all-around centerpiece; Atwell has primarily been a situational speed threat and kick returner.
The 5-foot-9 receiver has never commanded more than a 13 percent target share. His best season came in 2024, when he caught 42 passes for 562 yards and averaged 2.18 yards per route run. His role collapsed last season to 15 targets, six catches and 192 yards as the Rams moved away from three-receiver formations.
Los Angeles used 13 personnel—one running back, three tight ends and one receiver—on 30.5 percent of its plays. That approach created matchup problems but reduced the available snaps for a complementary wideout such as Atwell.
Even if his return has nothing to do with Nacua, it raises a separate question: Where does Atwell fit in an offense increasingly built around tight ends?
In 12 personnel, Atwell could serve as the second receiver opposite either Nacua or Davante Adams, stretching the secondary while the primary target and two tight ends work underneath. McVay could also use him selectively as the lone receiver in 13 personnel, forcing defenses to respect his speed from an otherwise run-heavy formation.
His small stature and limitations as a blocker make both roles situational, particularly when Nacua and Adams are available.
McVay has explained why the Rams brought Atwell back: familiarity, depth and speed.
What remains unclear is whether the NFL will make Nacua unavailable—and, regardless of that decision, whether McVay can finally find a meaningful role for Atwell in an offense, now, built to play fewer receivers.
Both questions will follow the Rams to Melbourne for their Week 1 showdown against the division-rival 49ers.
