Rams bring back Kendall Blanton following Brycen Hopkins suspension

Kendall Blanton is back with the Los Angeles Rams. Following the suspension of Brycen Hopkins for three games, the Rams sorely needed tight end depth behind Tyler Higbee and Blanton makes the most sense at this point. Though Sean McVay has all but abandoned two-tight end sets and L.A. only kept two tight ends on the roster, surely someone has to be there for insurance and Blanton has the most experience to do so. Luckily, he was also still available.

Though Roger Carter, Jr. and Jared Pinkney are two options on the practice squad, Blanton played in 148 snaps for the Rams in 2021 in the regular season. He then appeared in all four playoff games, including five catches for 57 yards in the NFC Championship. He also caught a touchdown in the win over the Buccaneers in the divisional round.

Still, the Rams chose to cut Blanton midway through preseason and training camp, one of the biggest surprises of August. He was most recently on the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, essentially putting him fourth on their depth chart. Now he’s just one step away from potentially playing this Sunday against the Cardinals.