Atwell embraces fresh start as veteran in young receiver room

As the most accomplished wide receiver in an inexperienced unit, new Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tutu Atwell is navigating minicamp with more on his plate than he has had at any point in his career.

“As we’re building that receiver room, he’s a guy that can help us.” Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said before Wednesday’s practice. “He’s a very talented player, good with the ball in his hands. He’s a guy who has experience in the league,”

While Atwell had displayed encouraging progress in each of the previous three seasons leading into the 2025 campaign, last season felt like a step back for the Miami native.

The 5-foot-9, 165-pound speedster spent five games on injured reserve, was schematically limited by the Los Angeles Rams’ tendency to favor 13 personnel (one receiver and three tight ends) and was also slowed by the signing of future NFL receiving touchdown leader Davante Adams.

Despite being fresh off a one-year, $10 million contract extension, Atwell wound up playing just 16% of the Rams’ offensive snaps that year, a far cry from his career-high 59% usage rate during the 2023 campaign.

As he returns home to headline a young receiver group, the former second-round pick sits in an odd position: still trying to live up to his potential while also serving as a veteran and one of the oldest players in the room.

“It’s a fresh start for real, you know. It’s a different environment, and I’m just taking it day by day, just learning how they run things here,” said Atwell, 26, who has 105 receptions for 1,535 yards and five touchdowns throughout his career. “Just going to keep pushing and keep my head in the playbook. I feel like I haven’t shown the league what I can really do yet.”

Based on Wednesday’s practice, he seems to be benefiting from that fresh start by showcasing his versatility as a receiver who can make an impact from a variety of alignments and levels of the field.

While the Miami Northwestern alum fluctuated between the slot and outside during his time with the Rams, Atwell was consistently fed throughout the day while operating as a single-side receiver, using his speed to keep defenses on their heels while showing off his comfort running an advanced route tree.

His first notable play of the day came on a 35-yard post during a 7-on-7 period, where he sold a double move to the outside, got the safety to bite and then cut back underneath toward the middle of the field.

As the Dolphins operated in late-game clock-management situations, Atwell served as quarterback Quinn Ewers’ security blanket.

“It doesn’t really matter to me,” said Atwell, who took 117 snaps in the slot last season compared to 84 out wide, according to Pro Football Focus. “Put me anywhere, man. I just want the ball in my hand.”

Atwell is most effective with the ball in his hands, because that’s simply what he is used to.

While playing quarterback at Miami Northwestern High School, he was named the Miami Herald’s Offensive Player of the Year, and led the Bulls to a Florida Class 6A State Championship in 2017.

His years as a dual-threat quarterback might have given him an added sense of comfort as a ball-carrier, but the former Bull explained that his past under center has been most valuable in terms of football IQ.

“It helped a lot. Being a quarterback, you have to know everything on the field, so that helped me in the long run for college, and to get on the field faster than everybody else,” said Atwell, who threw for 1,489 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. “The notes I take and the memorization I have just make it easier for me.”

Before facing a roadblock last season, he hauled in a career-high 42 passes for 562 yards with the Rams in 2024, and caught 39 passes for 483 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in 2023.

As the offense starts to take shape with a new quarterback and a nearly entirely new receiver room, expect the veteran receiver to continue demonstrating his versatility and carving out a role for himself in Miami’s developing offense.

“I think he’s adjusted well,” Hafley said. “All that will take a little bit of time to get in rhythm and in sync.”