The Los Angeles Rams have seen enough. After a heartbreaking 37-34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, head coach Sean McVay has made a decisive move: Harrison Mevis is out as the team's kicker.
Mevis's night was a disaster from the start. He pushed a 50-yard attempt wide left in the first quarter, and then, with the game on the line in overtime, his 48-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Greg Rousseau, sealing the Rams' fate. The miss was the second of the night, and it was the final straw for McVay.
In his postgame press conference, McVay didn't mince words. "The kicking game, especially with our PAT, field goal, not even close to good enough," he said. "It cost us the game tonight … I'm going to evaluate everything."
McVay followed through on that promise. The Rams released Mevis on Tuesday, ending his tenure with the team after he converted just 17 of 22 field goal attempts. The move signals a clear shift in priorities as the Rams look to stabilize a special teams unit that has been anything but reliable.
To fill the void, the Rams have signed Blake Grupe off the New York Jets' practice squad. Grupe spent the 2023-2025 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, where he connected on 75 of 94 field goal attempts. However, his accuracy dipped significantly in 2025, hitting just 69.2% of his kicks. But after being signed mid-season by the Indianapolis Colts, Grupe found his groove, converting all 11 of his field goal attempts for them.
The Rams are hoping Grupe can bring that same reliability to Los Angeles, starting as soon as this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. The team's kicking woes have been a recurring theme, and McVay's frustration has been palpable. This move is a clear signal that he expects better performance from every player on the roster, no matter the position.
While the Rams' offense has shown flashes of brilliance, the kicking game has been a glaring weakness. With Grupe now in the fold, the Rams are hoping to turn a season that has been marred by missed opportunities into one defined by clutch performances. The pressure is on Grupe to deliver, and McVay has made it clear that mediocrity will not be tolerated.
As the Rams prepare for their Week 6 matchup, all eyes will be on the new kicker. Can Grupe provide the stability the Rams desperately need? Only time will tell, but McVay's swift action shows he's not willing to wait around to find out.
