Johnny Hekker was the Rams’ punter for the last 10 years, but they decided to make a change this offseason. They cut the four-time All-Pro in what was a money-saving move, opening the door for a competition at punter this summer.
After signing Riley Dixon as a free agent and adding Cameron Dicker after the draft, the Rams allowed both players to compete for the job. And while it truly was a competition, it didn’t last very long into the preseason. Dicker was the only one who kicked in the preseason opener against the Chargers, a sign that Dixon may have already secured the spot as Hekker’s replacement.
We got confirmation of that on Tuesday when the Rams made their first round of cuts, and Dicker was among the five players waived. So that leaves Dixon as the only punter left on the roster, making him the team’s choice for the 2022 season.
Dixon makes sense as the Rams’ pick, too. He was with Joe DeCamillis in Denver in 2016, and he comes with experience as a six-year veteran. That proves valuable, and DeCamillis even said Dixon has a “similar skill set to what we had before.”
It’s hard to replace a punter who was once the best in the game, but Dixon should do a solid job with the Rams this season. And if he struggles, it was only a one-year contract worth $1 million.