Robert Woods has been a staple of the Los Angeles Rams offense since he joined the team in 2017. He has been instrumental to a large portion of their offensive success in that time and has helped them reach two Super Bowls in the last four seasons.
In 2021, with Matthew Stafford leading the way, Woods was once again exactly what the Rams needed from an unselfish wide receiver. However, a torn ACL prior to Week 10 ended his season, and it was a huge loss for a Rams team that had just added Odell Beckham Jr. as a third receiver.
Despite that, Stafford led the Rams to Super Bowl LVI, where they will face the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday. And even though Woods has not played since Nov. 7, his impact is still greatly felt within this year’s roster.
Stafford, during his Super Bowl media appearance, was detailed in his praise of Woods and what he has done for the Rams this season, according to the NFL’s Twitter:
“Robert Woods is the L.A. Rams. You know, when I think about him, I think about the toughness. I think about the attention to detail. I think about unselfishness, and I think about all of the things that we talk about as a team that we want to be. That’s bottled up into one person. And Robert was an unbelievable guy when it came to me just getting to know the guys on the team and getting to work in the offseason. I remember the times that we’d come out here and throw and work together when nobody’s out there. Just the work that he puts in, the professional that he is, and the leader that he is. Both in his play and the way he goes about his business day in and day out. I know he set the tone for many guys on our team, including myself, just watching him go to work with the attention to detail and the passion that he plays with. And when we lost him, that was a big hit to our team, both for catches and touchdowns and all that stuff, but really emotionally as well. Few guys on our team care more about other guys than Robert Woods.”
Everything that Stafford says about Woods is what anyone attached to the Rams organization already knows. But for Stafford — who is in his first year with the Rams — to say all of this shows the type of immediate impact Woods can have on a player and a team.
A look into the stat sheet would show that Woods has had two 1,000-yard seasons during his five years in L.A. However, that barely begins to describe what he does for the Rams both on the field and off of it.
Hopefully, the Rams can get Woods back at 100% next season — and potentially re-sign Beckham — to see what their team could accomplish with all three receivers at full strength.
Woods, Kupp share powerful moment after NFC Championship
Following the Rams defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, cameras caught a powerful moment shared between Woods and Cooper Kupp, who have developed an unbreakable bond during their time together in L.A.
