Rams Shockingly Release Team Captain Ahead of OTAs

Update: The Rams are surprisingly not releasing the 26-year-old wide receiver. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Thursday that Los Angeles is trading Skowronek to the Houston Texans. The Rams and Texans will swap sixth and seventh-round picks in 2026, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Los Angeles Rams made a notable roster move on Thursday that will shake up the wide receiver room as they prepare for OTAs. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Rams released wide receiver/special teamer Ben Skowronek, who was a seventh-round pick in 2021 and a team captain last season.

The 26-year-old didn’t do much as a wide receiver last season after making some noise with 39 receptions in 2022, but he still found a way to make a big impact with the team.

He played 71% of the Rams' special teams snaps (by far the highest mark of his career), and he showed so much leadership in that facet of the game that he was named a team captain in just his third pro season.

Having a special teams ace who also serves as viable wide receiver depth can be very valuable, and that's especially true when you factor in that he was clearly a leader in the locker room.

Skowronek's release is a clear message that the Rams want to get deeper at wide receiver, and that they believe they can find special teams help elsewhere.

Looking at the Rams’ roster heading into OTAs, Los Angeles’ top-four wide receiver spots are filled with Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, and Tutu Atwell. However, the WR5 and WR6 spots are open, with six other receivers competing for those jobs.

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