The Los Angeles Rams didn’t do anything at the trade deadline. However, once the deadline had passed, the team announced that Jordan Whittington had been placed on injured reserve and that it had signed wide receiver Xavier Smith in a corresponding move.

On Tuesday, head coach Sean McVay noted that Whittington had been dealing with some soreness in his back.With Whittington headed to injured reserve, his season is likely over as the Rams won’t have enough return designations to bring him back. Whittington had two catches for 12 yards on the season and was averaging 26.3 yards per kickoff return. 

The Rams losing Whittington is another hit to the wide receiver position.They were already without Davante Adams, who has been on injured reserve, and then lost Puka Nacua as well. While Whittington doesn’t offer a lot in the passing game, he is arguably the best blocking wide receiver on the team and provides value on special teams. 

Given the current injury situation at wide receiver, the Rams will be relying heavily on their wide receiver depth over the next month. With Nacua and Adams sidelined, players like Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell, and CJ Daniels could take on larger roles. Losing Whittington only makes that situation more difficult.

Still, bringing back Smith is certainly an interesting choice. While Smith has experience in the offense, his size limits what he can offer as a receiver. The Rams previously cut Smith this season as they looked to make improvements at punt returner. 

With the Rams needing depth at wide receiver and in need of a punt returner again, it’s possible they saw Smith as the best available option. After cutting Alex Bachman, the Rams had Kyren Williams returning punts against the Washington Commanders. 

Smith will likely take Whittington’s place on kick returns and could go back to returning punts as well, despite his previous struggles in that role. It’s possible he could see snaps on offense as well, taking away from Tutu Atwell and CJ Daniels. 

The Rams opted not to make a move for a receiver at the trade deadline and instead signed Smith. While Smith provides some familiarity with the offense, it's difficult to see how he significantly improves a wide receiver group that was already lacking depth.

Over the last few weeks, the Rams have dealt with a handful of injuries at wide receiver and are running out of options. Smith at least provides someone with experience in the offense. With no outside help coming at the trade deadline, the Rams will have to find a way to make it work with what they have.