Rams' Kicking Woes Continue as New Kicker Blake Grupe Injures Knee

The Los Angeles Rams' kicking struggles persisted Sunday as new kicker Blake Grupe sustained a knee injury in his debut against the Arizona Cardinals. The incident occurred moments after Grupe successfully kicked a 44-yard field goal to give the Rams an early 3-0 lead at SoFi Stadium.

Following the successful kick, Grupe was called upon to make a tackle on the ensuing kickoff. Arizona returner Devin Duvernay broke through the Rams' coverage unit, and Grupe, the last line of defense, managed to force him out of bounds to prevent a touchdown. In the process, Grupe injured his knee and was subsequently helped off the field by trainers, later being listed as doubtful to return.

This marks the second consecutive game where a Rams kicker has been forced into making a crucial tackle on kickoff coverage due to inadequate team defense. In the previous week's game against the Buffalo Bills, kicker Harrison Mevis, nicknamed the “Thiccer Kicker,” made a similar touchdown-saving play. Mevis was subsequently released by the Rams earlier this week after missing two field goals, including a potential game-winner, leading to the signing of Grupe from the New York Jets' practice squad.

With Grupe's injury, the Rams may be forced to rely on punter Ethan Evans for emergency field goal duties. If Evans were to attempt a kick, it would mark the ninth different field goal kicker for the franchise since 2020, highlighting a persistent issue with their special teams unit.