The Los Angeles Rams have climbed back above .500 with three straight wins. But their wide receiver room is running on fumes.
All-Pro wideout Puka Nacua is headed to injured reserve with MCL and PCL sprains in his right knee, plus turf toe. He got hurt on the final offensive snap of Sunday’s 20-13 win over the Washington Commanders. He’ll join Davante Adams on the sidelines, and Adams is already out 6-10 weeks with a ruptured hamstring.
Los Angeles didn’t add a receiver before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
However, the Rams made a couple of moves on Wednesday, and some fans think they know exactly why.
Rams’ Latest Moves Have Fans Buzzing About Tyreek Hill
The Rams created $3 million in cap space by restructuring the contracts of Pro Bowl running back Kyren Williams and safety Kamren Curl, ESPN’s Field Yates reported on X.
The details came from Spotrac. Los Angeles turned $2 million of Williams’ salary into a signing bonus and added two void years to his deal, which freed up $1.7 million. The Rams did the same with $1.7 million of Curl’s salary, which cleared another $1.3 million.
Williams and Curl are both under contract through 2028. With the void years, both will now stay on the Rams’ books through 2030.
It didn’t take long for Rams fans to connect the dots to free-agent wideout Tyreek Hill.
“That seems like a Tyreek Hill move to me,” one fan replied.
“Tyreek Hill coming 👀,” another fan stated.
“We are the Tyreek hill team aren’t we,” a third fan remarked.
“Cheetah 👀,” one user wrote.
“Tyreek Hill or Brandon Aiyuk 🤔,” posted another user.
“Get OBJ or Tyreek. Stafford will get those guys targets,” one fan said.
There may be a simpler explanation though.
According to Over The Cap, the Rams were about $600,000 over the salary cap before the restructures. Rams Wire noted the moves don’t necessarily mean a signing is coming. They spent much of the season with less than $1 million in cap space and at one point had under $10,000.
Still, Los Angeles now has room to add a receiver if it wants one. And Hill’s agent is working the phones.
Why Tyreek Hill Makes Sense for the Rams
Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, gave an update on Hill’s comeback during Tuesday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.”
He said the eight-time Pro Bowler hasn’t been medically cleared yet but he expects that to happen in a few weeks.
“As soon as Tyreek Hill is healthy and cleared medically I’m letting teams know they can sign him,” Rosenhaus said. “I think he’s close and I think he’s gonna make a great comeback. I expect him to be playing and making things happen this season.”
The Rams have been floated as a landing spot for Hill for months. Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton named them the best fit for Hill back in August. Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay made the same pitch after Adams went down.
It’s easy to understand why. Nacua (70 catches, 715 yards, four touchdowns) and Adams account for 1,195 of the Rams’ 2,387 receiving yards. No healthy receiver on the roster has more than 162 yards (Konata Mumpfield).
Hill was a five-time first-team All-Pro and just three years removed from his league-leading 1,799-yard, 13-touchdown season in 2023. He also turns 33 next spring. And he hasn’t played since dislocating his left knee and tearing multiple ligaments in Week 4 of last season.
Then there’s the off-field cloud. A Miami jury found Hill liable on two counts of battery in a civil trial brought by his estranged wife Lakeeta Vaccaro last month. The jury found him not liable on the other eight claims. The NFL said the matter remains under review under its personal conduct policy.
Rams Spark Tyreek Hill Speculation With Latest Roster Moves