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By Ellis Williams
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Sean McVay joked Wednesday about finding receiver help on his own coaching staff.
Super Bowl champion receiver Robert Woods still looks good enough to make him wonder.
The retired wide receiver is now the Los Angeles Rams’ assistant receivers coach, working with a position group missing several of its biggest contributors. McVay acknowledged he had discussed a return with Woods, but his answer came with a laugh, not a roster announcement.
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“I’ve definitely been tempted,” McVay told reporters Wednesday. He also raised a potential collective bargaining agreement obstacle before praising how Woods moves during practice.
“He still is smooth out there,” McVay added, “so very tempting.”
Woods, 34, is in his first season as an NFL coach. He signed a one-day contract to retire with Los Angeles in February, returning to the franchise where he had the most productive stretch of his playing career.
His five seasons with the Rams produced 367 catches for 4,626 yards and 23 touchdowns. Woods joined the team in 2017, the same year McVay became head coach, and surpassed 1,000 receiving yards twice during their time together.
He finished his career with 683 receptions, 8,233 yards and 38 touchdowns across stops with Buffalo, Los Angeles, Tennessee and Houston. Woods was also part of the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI championship team, though a torn ACL kept him out of that postseason run.
The current receiver shortage has left McVay with a much different group to prepare for Sunday’s trip to Arizona.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua is sidelined with knee and toe injuries, while wide receiver Davante Adams remains out with a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Jordan Whittington went on injured reserve with a back injury.
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Los Angeles signed wide receiver Xavier Smith from San Francisco’s practice squad Tuesday. Nacua will remain on the active roster because of roster considerations, but that decision does not signal an earlier return.
McVay still expects an extended absence for Nacua. Adams could return after the Week 12 matchup with Green Bay, a timeline McVay described Wednesday as realistic.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford has expressed confidence in the remaining receivers as Los Angeles adjusts its offense.
“It’s not difficult to pull the trigger,” Stafford told reporters. “I trust those guys.”
The Rams are 5-4 and have won three straight games. They lost their first meeting with Arizona 18-16 in Week 6, when the offense managed 286 total yards.
Sunday’s rematch at State Farm Stadium kicks off at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS. A victory would send Los Angeles into its bye week with four consecutive wins while its injured receivers continue working toward their returns.
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