One of the biggest shakeups of the NFL offseason so far came when the Los Angeles Rams parted ways with longtime WR Cooper Kupp and brought in Davante Adams to headline their revamped receiver room. However, while those moves dominated headlines, another quietly intriguing subplot was unfolding — Tutu Atwell’s unexpected return on a one-year deal.
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Atwell’s re-signing raised more than a few eyebrows, considering he has just 99 career receptions over four seasons and played under 40% of the team’s offensive snaps last year. With Puka Nacua and Adams already ahead in the pecking order, what’s the point of retaining a player who hasn’t been utilized well in recent seasons?
Well, according to Rams head coach Sean McVay, Atwell’s lack of contribution isn’t the player’s mistake. The one at fault is McVay himself.
“I have not done a good enough job of utilizing him,” the head coach admitted during last month’s league meetings.
He pointed to stretches of the 2024 season when Atwell stepped up in the absence of Kupp and breakout star Puka Nacua, saying the 5’9” speedster delivered when given the opportunity. “He’s going to be on the field a lot more, particularly in a lot of those three-receiver sets… he has produced, and he has delivered,” McVay continued.
The Super Bowl-winning coach also hinted at Tutu playing a more prominent role this season, noting that the WR’s contributions over a full year could make the re-signing “well worth the investment.”
That said, while the Rams HC seemed to offer every possible reason to justify green-lighting a $10 million fully guaranteed deal for the WR, NFL fans on Reddit weren’t buying it.
One of the top upvoted comments on this topic was a Redditor hilariously likening McVay’s remarks to a husband neglecting his wife for years, only to pretend he had always been loyal. “My main side chick left me, so I’m scrambling back to my wife,” wrote the user.
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Other critics of Atwell’s signing couldn’t stomach the amount the Rams have committed to pay for a WR3.
“Well, it’s not from a lack of trying; he’s been trying to use him as a weapon, the same way he tried to use Tavon Austin. Tutu has showed more than Austin ever did, while filling in for Kupp last year, but that extension is pretty big ($10M guaranteed) for a resume as small as his (1,415 combined receiving and rushing yards over 3 years (didn’t play his first season)),” they wrote.
The rest of the NFL fans couldn’t stop making fun of McVay’s admission, dropping their best wordplays and puns on Tutu Atwell’s name.
“You don’t utilize Tutu Atwell, you Tutilize him,” wrote a netizen.
As it stands, Atwell enters the 2025 season with a rare second chance—not just to prove himself but to become a true piece in a suddenly dynamic Rams offense. And if he does break out, it could earn him more than just McVay’s respect—it could land him a serious payday next off-season.
Until then, Reddit will be watching—popcorn in hand, receipts in folder, and also some puns.
