The Los Angeles Rams are reportedly bringing in veteran kicker Brandon McManus after Blake Grupe, their latest specialist, suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals. And get this: Grupe got hurt trying to make a tackle on a kickoff. Seriously.
The Wild Ride in L.A.’s Kicking Game Is Just Baffling
Man, you can’t make this stuff up. Blake Grupe was literally in his *first game* with the Rams after they signed him to replace Harrison Mevis. Mevis got cut after missing two field goals in Week 5’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. So, the Rams bring in Grupe, he nails his first field goal attempt in the first quarter, and you think, “Okay, maybe they finally fixed it.” Nope. On the very next kickoff, Grupe decides he’s a linebacker, goes for a tackle, misses, gets sent flying, and boom: season-ending knee injury. He was ruled out for the rest of the game right then and there. This whole thing is just peak NFL chaos, and Grupe’s social media post after the injury, saying “Not at all how I envisioned my time in LA” and vowing to “attack rehab,” just hits different after watching that unfold. With no kicker, punter Ethan Evans even had to step in and kick an extra point in the fourth quarter, and the team went for two earlier because they were totally without a specialist. Talk about a rough start!
Brandon McManus Steps In for a Team in Trouble
So, with Grupe sidelined, the Rams are turning to a familiar name: Brandon McManus. The guy is 35 years old and heading into his 13th NFL season. He spent nine years with the Denver Broncos, becoming their second all-time leading scorer with 946 points, then had a year with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He’s a steady hand, which is exactly what L.A. needs right now. Last season with the Packers, he went 24-of-30 on field goal attempts in 14 games, including three kicks from 50-plus yards, with a season-long of 56. That’s serious range and reliability. After the bizarre string of events with Mevis and Grupe, getting a guy like McManus who actually knows how to stay on the field and put points up has to be a relief for the Rams’ coaching staff.
Can McManus Stabilize L.A.’s Surprisingly Shaky Season?
This whole kicker drama is just another weird chapter in what’s already been a surprising season for the Rams. Remember, they kicked off the year as the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl with +650 odds. Six weeks in, and they’re sitting at a shocking 2-4 record, watching their Super Bowl odds plummet to +1100. That’s a huge drop, and while a kicker isn’t going to fix everything, having a reliable leg is absolutely crucial when every game matters. The margin for error in the NFL is tiny, and missing field goals or having your kicker take himself out of the game on a kickoff is just not going to cut it. McManus needs to step in and be that consistent point-scorer they thought they had. The Rams desperately need to turn things around, and getting a veteran kicker who can just do his job without any extra drama is probably their best bet to at least stop the bleeding and get back on track.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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