He didn’t sound completely serious, but Rams coach Sean McVay said on Wednesday that he talked to assistant wide receivers coach Robert Woods about whether he could suit up and play while receivers Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Jordan Whittington are all out with injuries.
McVay was asked during his press conference whether he has talked to the 34-year-old Woods, who was a receiver for the Rams for five years, about potentially playing again.
“I have, yes,” McVay answered with a laugh.
McVay acknowledged that there are Collective Bargaining Agreement rules against a coach becoming a player, but he said Woods is still in great shape and it would be fun to give it a try.
“I’ve looked at him, and the way he looks out there, I’ve definitely been tempted,” McVay said. “I think that’d be a violation of the CBA. I don’t know what he’d have to do, but he looks damn good and still is smooth out there. Very tempting.”
Woods was cut by the Steelers before the 2025 season and hasn’t played since, and he announced his retirement and signed a one-day contract with the Rams in February of 2026. Realistically, even with his intimate knowledge of the Rams’ offense, he probably wouldn’t be able to contribute as much on the field as whatever receiver the Rams could add off waivers or another team’s practice squad.
If Woods and the Rams actually wanted him to become an active player, it wouldn’t be as simple as signing him to the active roster, as the league has rules preventing that. Players on the reserve-retired list have to pass through waivers before they can join a team. And the NFL generally doesn’t allow coaches to become players: In 2020, when the Broncos lost all their quarterbacks to covid, they asked the league office if they could activate one of their assistant coaches and were told no. In 2009, Eagles coach Andy Reid wanted to play coaching intern Matt Nagy at quarterback in a preseason game and was also told by the league that he couldn’t.
So the idea of Woods playing receiver for the Rams is probably not going to get any kind of serious consideration. Even if, with all the Rams’ injuries, it’s tempting.