The Rams can’t afford another season like Ethan Evans just gave them.
Los Angeles’ punter was a real problem in 2025, and the numbers make that plain. Evans averaged 46.3 gross punting yards, which ranked 23rd in the NFL, and his 38 net yards placed him 27th. Coverage had something to do with the net figure, but the bigger issue was that the gross production never came close to being good enough.
That matters because the Rams don’t need Evans to be a star, but they do need him to be reliable. No team chasing a Super Bowl can spend a whole season living with weak punting. Evans simply didn’t bring much in any phase last year, and that has to improve.
There is at least some reason to wonder whether coaching played a role. Evans’ numbers have bounced around since he arrived in Los Angeles.
As a rookie, he averaged 49.2 yards per punt, though his net mark was only 38.5. In 2024, the gross average dipped to 46, but the net jumped to 41.7.
Then came last season’s regression.
The Rams have already shown they are willing to move on from a punter if the fit isn’t right. After the 2022 season, they let Riley Dixon go even though he had posted a respectable year, finishing 11th in gross yards and 22nd in net. Looking back, Dixon’s numbers were better than two of Evans’ three seasons with the team.
That doesn’t mean Los Angeles made the wrong call then, but it does show Evans hasn’t done enough to lock this job down long term. Simply matching what he did in 2024 last season might have changed the way a few games played out.
That’s not the point now, though. The Rams need him to be better in 2026.
Dixon’s own path after leaving Los Angeles is part of the backdrop here. He spent two solid seasons with the Denver Broncos before a poor 2026 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even then, while he dropped to 29th in gross yards, he still edged Evans in net yardage, just as he has every season.
Yes, the Rams have been awful in punt coverage. That’s part of the story. But the team tried to improve at punter and instead took a step backward.
Evans was not the answer last season. If he can’t get back to his 2024 level, the Rams may need to bring in another punter and make him fight for the job. Harrison Mevis showed that sometimes the grass is greener in the UFL, and Los Angeles could decide to add competition there too.
The clock is running.
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At the same time, the structure of camp is giving the backups a real chance to matter. Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett are competing for the No. 2 job, and the extra practice snaps that come with Staffords lighter load should help separate them before the preseason settles in. For the Rams, it is a balancing act: preserve the starter, but also make sure the depth chart behind him is more than a formality. [Read more 🡒]