The Los Angeles Rams are officially done with kicker Harrison Mevis. After a brutal Monday night game, the team is bringing in Blake Grupe, snagging him from the New York Jets’ practice squad. NFL Media reported this move on Tuesday afternoon, and honestly, if you watched that Buffalo Bills game, you saw it coming a mile away.
The Kicks That Cost Mevis His Job
You can’t sugarcoat this: Mevis missed two huge field goals in that overtime loss to the Bills. We’re talking a 50-yard attempt on the opening possession and then a 48-yarder in overtime, which the Bills’ Greg Rousseau tipped. Two big misses, both leading right to a loss. That’s a kicker’s nightmare, especially when your team is already fighting to find its footing at 2-3.
His stats for the season tell the story too. Through five games, Mevis was money on extra points, hitting all 14 attempts. But field goals? He was a shaky 5 of 9. That includes three misses from between 40-49 yards out, and another one from 50-plus. When the pressure was on, the ball just wasn’t sailing true for him.
A Rocky Road Leads to Grupe
Mevis’s journey to this point was a winding one. He went undrafted in 2024, hung out with the Carolina Panthers in training camp, spent time with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions, then the Jets in summer 2025, before finally landing with the Rams for the 2025 season. He actually showed some promise last year, kicking in nine games, hitting 12 of 13 field goals, including 5 of 6 from 40-49 yards and his only try from 50-plus. He was perfect on 39 extra points in 2025. He even led the SEC with 26 made field goals back in 2021 for the Missouri Tigers, making 89 of 106 attempts in college. But that 2025 form just wasn’t there this season.
Now, the Rams are turning to Blake Grupe. He kicked for the New Orleans Saints for over two years, from 2023-25, before getting cut. He finished out the 2025 season with the Indianapolis Colts, where he was money, hitting all 11 of his field goal attempts after going 18 of 26 with the Saints that year. The Colts waived him in August, and the Jets snatched him up before the Rams ultimately grabbed him. This guy has bounced around, but he’s also shown he can be reliable when he gets a shot.
The Rams are sitting at 2-3 right now, and every game, every point, every kick matters. You just can’t afford to leave points on the field like that, especially in an overtime thriller. Grupe steps into a situation where he immediately has to prove he can bring the stability this team desperately needs. It’s a fresh start for the Rams’ kicking game, and they need it to pay off fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
Leave a Reply