Vikings' Brandon Powell: Agrees to deal with Minnesota
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Powell agreed Wednesday with Minnesota on a one-year contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Powell appeared in all 17 regular-season games for the Rams in 2022, totaling 24 receptions on 32 targets for 156 yards while rushing 17 times for 80 yards. He also complied 605 kick-return yards and 177 punt-return yards. With Adam Thielen off to Carolina, the No. 3 wideout spot behind Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn appears to be open for competition. Powell could have a chance to carve out a solid offensive role, though he may be valued mostly for his ability to contribute on special teams, both as a return man and in kick coverage. Powell is unlikely to unseat Kene Nwangwu -- who has three career return touchdowns -- as the primary kick returner, but he should have a good chance to win the punt-returning gig over Jalen Reagor.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Two touches in season finale
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Powell secured one of three targets for two yards and rushed once for 15 yards during Sunday's 19-16 overtime loss to the Seahawks. He also returned three punts for 22 yards and one kickoff for 17 yards.
Powell's usage fell in line with what became typical for the return specialist in the second half of the season. Despite an uptick in playing time, Powell managed a pedestrian 23-156-0 receiving line in 2022 while tacking on an additional 17 rushing attempts for 80 yards, all career highs. Powell heads into 2023 as an unrestricted free agent after a pair of one-year deals with the Rams, and a similar deal may be in the cards for the journeyman.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Does little with extended play time
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Powell rushed once for six yards and caught one of two targets for three yards during Sunday's 31-10 loss to the Chargers.
Powell was on the field for three-quarters of the Rams' snaps on offense, yet his stat line was more or less typical for him on the season. He also failed to record a single kick or punt return for the first time all season, and despite the uptick in usage in the last two games, the return specialist's stock is trending downward heading into the season finale against the Seahawks.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Five touches in blowout
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Powell caught all three of his targets for 12 yards and rushed twice for three yards during Sunday's 51-14 win versus the Broncos. He also returned one punt for 12 yards.
Powell's usage in the blowout victory spiked significantly compared to prior weeks, as he was on the field for 40 snaps on offense, far more than the 21 total snaps he logged the previous two weeks combined. Despite the increased time on the field, he was unable to do much, averaging a paltry three yards per touch. His normally robust role as a return specialist was also stymied by the fact the Broncos only kicked a total of five times during the game thanks to four interceptions by Denver quarterbacks. Powell's role in the offense is unlikely to change, even with the surge in snaps, which takes some of the shine off a tantalizing matchup with a soft Chargers defense in Week 17.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Barely utilized in loss
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Powell caught one of two targets for four yards and rushed once for three yards during Monday's 24-12 loss to the Packers. He also returned one punt for eight yards and five kickoffs for 99 yards.
Powell's role in the offense has been sliding downward in recent weeks, even with Cooper Kupp (foot) and Allen Robinson (ankle) done for the year. With just seven snaps on offense against Green Bay, Powell recorded his lowest snap count since Week 10 against Arizona. On a positive note, Powell's 107 total return yards marked a season-high for the speedster, and he also managed two touches on his limited snaps after being shut out entirely during Week 14 against the Raiders.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Fails to record a catch
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Powell (illness) failed to secure either of his two targets during Thursday's 17-16 win over the Raiders. He also returned four kicks for 73 yards.
Powell was listed as questionable leading up to Thursday's contest due to an illness, which may explain why his snap count on offense dropped from 26 to 14 between Weesk 13 and 14. Powell will look to bounce back with a lengthy period to rest up ahead of a Week 15 game against the Packers on Dec. 19.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Active for TNF
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Powell (illness) will be available to play Thursday versus the Raiders.
Powell popped up with an illness Wednesday and was deemed questionable to play Week 14. However, it appears he overcame this ailment in time for Thursday Night Football. With top wideouts Cooper Kupp (foot) and Allen Robinson (ankle) both on injured reserve, Powell should slot into a reserve role alongside Tutu Atwell and Lance McCutcheon (shoulder), the latter of whom has also been ruled active.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Late addition to injury report
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Powell didn't practice Wednesday due to an illness and is listed as questionable for Thursday's matchup against Las Vegas, Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee reports.
Along with Powell, fellow wideout Lance McCutcheon (shoulder) is also listed as questionable, so the Rams' passing attack could be further depleted against Las Vegas if neither gains clearance ahead of the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. Powell has played north of 40 percent of the Rams' offensive snaps in both of the past two weeks, carrying three times for 45 yards and adding six receptions for 45 yards on six targets.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Productive against Seattle
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Powell caught all four of his targets for 39 yards and gained 45 rushing yards on three carries in Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Seahawks.
The 27-year-old led the Rams in scrimmage yards in his most productive performance since he was a rookie, when he popped for 103 receiving yards in Week 17 of the 2018 season as a Lion. Powell's versatility is becoming useful for an offense that's missing its top two wideouts in Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Allen Robinson (foot), but no Rams receiver will be an appealing fantasy option in Week 14, even against the Raiders.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Two catches in loss
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Powell secured both of his targets for six yards in Sunday's 26-10 loss to the Chiefs. He also returned three kicks for 78 yards.
Even with Allen Robinson (foot) and Cooper Kupp (ankle) unavailable, Powell's role didn't expand much beyond his usual few touches on offense. Tutu Atwell and Lance McCutcheon (shoulder) both were on the field for nearly the same amount of time as Powell, and the trio will all get some work as the third wideout behind starters Van Jefferson and Ben Skowronek with Robinson out for the season and Kupp unlikely to return with the Rams fading fast from playoff contention.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Uptick in playing time
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Powell rushed once for minus-1 yard and caught both of his targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Saints. He also returned two punts for nine yards and one kickoff for 34 yards.
Powell's lengthy kickoff return was critical in setting up Tutu Atwell's first career touchdown, a 62-yard bomb that kicked off scoring on the day for the Rams. More encouraging for Powell was the 20 snaps he saw on offense, his second most in a game so far this season. The Rams' primary return man may continue to enjoy a more expanded role on offense while Cooper Kupp (ankle) misses time.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: One catch in limited action
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Powell caught his lone target for four yards, returned two punts for 12 yards and ran back three kickoffs for 63 yards in Sunday's 16-13 loss to the Buccaneers.
Powell was a busy man on special teams, recording a season high in return yardage despite a muffed punt (that he recovered) in the first quarter. On the offensive side, Powell's usage remains extremely limited, as he only took the field for five snaps. The slightly expanded role the speedster enjoyed in Weeks 5 and 6 with a combined 35 snaps is seemingly over, and Powell's has reverted to being used primarily as a punt and kick returner heading into a Week 10 contest against the Cardinals.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Listed as active Sunday
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Powell (ankle) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the 49ers, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.
In the Rams' 24-10 win over the Panthers in Week 6, Powell hauled in four of his five targets for 27 yards and rushed three times for 13 yards, but with Van Jefferson off IR and back in the team's wideout mix Sunday, Powell's volume could take a hit in Week 8, thus making him a hit-or-miss fantasy option.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Expected to play in Week 8
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Powell (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the 49ers but expected to play, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site reports.
Powell saw more involvement on offense with Cam Akers (personal) sidelined in the Rams' previous game, notching three carries in addition to five targets. The wide receiver should continue to operate as the return man on special teams in addition to possibly seeing a few rushing opportunities with Akers having been ruled out once again.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Season-high four catches in win
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Powell caught four of five targets for 27 yards and rushed three times for 13 yards in Sunday's 24-10 win against the Panthers. He also returned one punt for 15 yards.
Powell nearly doubled his season total in snaps in Sunday's victory, taking the field for 25 offensive snaps and turning that into a total of seven touches for 40 yards. In the fourth quarter, Powell had a clutch 16-yard catch to set up a Darrell Henderson rushing touchdown to ice the game for the Rams. The expanded usage for the speedy return man may be short lived, as the Rams go on bye in Week 7, and Van Jefferson (knee) is eligible to return in Week 8.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Returns three punts
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Powell rushed once for one yard and returned three punts for 19 yards during Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Cowboys.
For the second straight week, Powell found himself without a target in the passing game, despite seeing the field for a season-high 11 offensive snaps. It also was a season low in return yards for the speedy return man, and Powell's lone touch on offense was stuffed after just one yard. Despite the lack of stats, the increase in playing time could yield fruit in a Week 6 tilt with a struggling Panthers squad.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Held without a catch
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Powell rushed once for 11 yards and returned three kicks for 58 yards during Monday's 24-9 loss to the 49ers.
It was the first game of the season in which Powell wasn't targeted in the passing game, a slight surprise as Tutu Atwell was inactive for the game, leaving Powell as the team's field-stretching speedster. Powell still managed to record a single touch out of his six offensive snaps with an 11-yard scamper in the second quarter, and he'll look to bounce back in a Week 5 tilt against the Cowboys.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Three catches in win
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Powell caught all three of his targets for 27 yards during Sunday's 20-12 victory against the Cardinals. He also returned four kickoffs for 74 yards.
Despite another week of scant usage on offense with just six offensive snaps, Powell made the most out of his time on the turf, connecting with Matthew Stafford on three targets. He also busted out a nifty 31-yard kick return and remains the primary return man for the Rams heading into a Week 4 matchup with San Francisco.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Takes intentional safety
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Powell caught his only target for six yards in Sunday's 31-27 win against the Falcons. He also returned two kicks for 14 yards and rushed once for minus-26 yards.
The glaring negative rushing yardage came late in the game, as the Rams elected to take an intentional safety on fourth down with just 13 seconds remaining, rather than punt, and trusted Powell as the man to handle the job. Other than the safety, Powell was only on the field for five other offensive snaps and seems relegated to kick-return duty with Van Jefferson (knee) likely to return soon.
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Rams' Brandon Powell: Does a little of everything
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Powell caught his only target for 10 yards in the Rams' 31-10 loss to the Bills on Thursday night. He also rushed once for three yards and returned four kicks for 67 yards.
Powell saw only three snaps on offense, but he made the most of his limited time on the field by getting two touches in those three snaps, which was more production than Allen Robinson saw in 65 snaps. Powell also operated in his usual role as the Rams' primary kick returner, topping out with a 21-yard return in the fourth quarter. With Van Jefferson (knee) potentially out for Week 2's game against the Falcons, Powell will look to continue attempting to carve out a role beyond his return duties.
