Jul 23, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay runs with quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Will Rule Change Lead to Increased Role For Rams RB?

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Zak Gilbert | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 10:00 AM ET

It was the first time Blake Corum touched a football in an NFL game.

In Week 2 last year at Arizona, Corum took Matt Prater’s pop-fly opening kickoff at the Rams’ 10-yard line. He waited for two key blocks, then shot through a seam up the numbers, accelerating with 4.53-second speed before crossing midfield out of bounds.

The Rams could see more of that this season from the running back, especially after the NFL incentivized more kickoff returns by moving touchbacks from the 30 to 35. Special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn said Friday that the Rams don’t need to experiment like they did last year with the “dynamic” kickoff changes entering Year 2.

“A little less because I think you have a little bit more data to go off of,” Blackburn said. “Then there’s some with the kick and some within your coverage about maybe running some different things. Getting the ball on the ground in different ways or maybe some gap schemes in the return game, which we experimented with last year.”

Experimenting with Corum last year gave the Rams a limited sample size. On offense, Kyren Williams turned 316 carries into 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns, excellent production that limited Corum to just 58 carries and 207 yards. And after Los Angeles drafted Jarquez Hunter in the fourth-round of April’s draft, Corum’s most impactful role might be dropping back to return kickoffs.

The Rams have options at kickoff returner

That 41-yard kickoff return was Corum’s longest burst of the season but his opportunities were limited in that area, too. He had just seven returns for 186 yards (26.6 average), splitting returns with Xavier Smith and Jordan Whittington, who are both back for the Rams in training camp. And while Whittington led the team in kickoff returns, Blackburn said there are other ways players can demonstrate their value with the touchback change.

“There's always things that happen, Blackburn said. “There's injuries that occur during training camp that you don't ever want, preseason games and things like that. A lot of things sort themselves out a little bit, but you also never want to take away from those guys that are fighting and competing because you can find really good players that are going to come in here and have a chance to operate if you give them the opportunity.

“Obviously, there's going to be more kicks covered. We thought that last year; didn't quite come to fruition. But with the new touchback, I think that's going to be the more prevalent.”

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This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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