The Rams are making a significant shakeup on special teams, parting ways with coordinator Chase Blackburn after a season where that phase of the game directly impacted three of the team’s four losses. It’s a tough move, but one that signals just how seriously the organization is taking its postseason ambitions - and how little margin for error they believe they have.
Ben Kotwica, who had been serving as the Rams’ assistant special teams coach, will now step into the lead role. Kotwica brings his own NFL experience to the table and will be tasked with cleaning up a unit that has struggled with consistency and execution in key moments this season.
As for Blackburn, this marks the end of a short tenure in L.A., but his football journey has been anything but brief. A former linebacker who went undrafted out of Akron in 2005, Blackburn carved out a 10-year NFL career, suiting up for both the Giants and Panthers.
He wasn’t just a depth piece either - Blackburn appeared in 132 games, made 45 starts, and filled the stat sheet with 372 tackles, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions, and six forced fumbles. He even found the end zone once, showing the kind of versatility and instinct that made him a key contributor on special teams and defense alike.
After hanging up his cleats, Blackburn transitioned into coaching, starting with the Panthers as an assistant special teams coach in 2016. Two years later, he earned a promotion to coordinator - a role he held until 2021.
Though initially retained under head coach Matt Rhule, Blackburn was let go following that season. He later joined the Titans as an assistant before the Rams brought him on as their special teams coordinator in 2023.
But in the NFL, production dictates opportunity, and the Rams’ special teams unit simply didn’t deliver in the moments that mattered most. Whether it was coverage breakdowns, missed kicks, or field position battles lost, the miscues added up - and in a league where one or two plays can flip a game, that’s often the difference between winning and losing.
Now, with Kotwica at the helm, the Rams will look to stabilize a critical third of the game. In a tightly packed NFC playoff race, even minor improvements on special teams could prove pivotal.