NFL News: Sean McVay makes something clear on using one of Matthew Stafford's top weapons

The Los Angeles Rams are looking to improve their performance in the 2025 NFL season and with quarterback Matthew Stafford confirmed to return, the NFC West team will have key weapons available such as Davante Adams. However, head coach Sean McVay specifically pointed out a receiver he wants to see more on the field.

If there’s a time for self-criticism, it’s the offseason. NFL teams rebuild with the goal of improving results, and often that means paying closer attention to current roster members and giving them a more prominent role. That’s exactly what McVay plans to do with one of Stafford’s potential key weapons.

The Rams have moved on from wide receiver Cooper Kupp and brought in Davante Adams, the former teammate of Aaron Rodgers with the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers. With that move, Los Angeles shows it still has veteran experience in Matthew Stafford’s receiving corps, but it also opens the door for other players to potentially take on bigger roles.

McVay confessed he wants to give Stafford’s potential key weapon more prominence

Head coach Sean McVay spoke to the media and specifically addressed wide receiver Tutu Atwell, who hasn’t been heavily used in previous seasons. “I think the fans are accurate in that I haven’t done a good enough job of utilizing him. He’s going to be on the field a lot more, particularly in a lot of those three-receiver sets where, when he’s been on the field, he’s done a really good job,” McVay said via the team’s official website.

Sean McVay, the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams

“I think when you look at his body of work, when he’s been able to play, especially in some of the times that he was playing (like) when Cooper was on IR, there was a lot of production. And if you project that over the course of 17 games, you just watch what he was able to do. He’s matured as a young man. I love the person, getting to know him, and I think that he’s only getting better,” McVay said about Atwell.

see also

Matthew Stafford delivers big statement on Davante Adams’ arrival to Rams ahead of 2025 NFL season

Atwell’s impact on the Rams

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Rams selected Atwell in the second round with the 57th overall pick. Over the years, he gradually earned more playing time, but 2024 undoubtedly marked a turning point in his stint with Los Angeles. The 25-year-old wide receiver appeared in all 17 games, starting in five, and posted career highs with 42 receptions for 562 yards. The 2025 season promises even more involvement for him.