Xavier Smith isn’t the reason the Los Angeles Rams lost the NFC Championship Game, even as costly as his muffed punt in the third quarter was. The offense had a chance to take the lead after his mistake, and had the defense gotten a stop late in the game, the Rams might’ve gone onto win.
Smith has been made the scapegoat of that loss and for the first time, he spoke out on social media. He posted an inspirational message on Instagram Monday, just over a week after the Rams’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Here’s what he wrote in his post:
Embrace It ALL Take the Good wit the Bad and Keep Moving Love this Team more than Anything
In the comments, several of his Rams teammates showed support, including Kobie Turner, Terrance Ferguson and Tutu Atwell. Derwin James even commented, writing: “Keep going fam proud you ”
Smith is an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, and while it will be very easy for the Rams to retain him, it’s uncertain that he’ll be back with the team in 2026 – especially with a new special teams coordinator, Bubba Ventrone, taking over.
Smith contributed as a receiver this season with 18 catches for 303 yards, but his punt return numbers could stand to improve. It’s unclear what the future holds for Smith but it’s good to see he still has the support of his teammates.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams’ Xavier Smith shares inspirational message on Instagram: ‘Embrace it all’
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
