The Rams are scrambling for a kicker, and they’ve just landed on a veteran with a wild playoff history. After Blake Grupe went down with a torn ACL during Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, forcing him onto injured reserve Monday, Los Angeles wasted no time. Multiple reports confirm that 35-year-old Brandon McManus, a Super Bowl champion, has agreed to join the club.
McManus’s Rollercoaster Ride From Champion to Playoff Misses
Look, when you hear “Super Bowl champion kicker,” it sounds like a slam dunk, right? McManus won it all with Denver to cap the 2015 season, nailing every single kick in that postseason run , all 10 field goals and all three extra points. That’s clutch. His career regular-season numbers are solid too: 82.0 percent on field goals and 97.4 percent on extra points across 186 games. But you gotta look at what he did *last season*. McManus was with the Packers, and while he was decent enough in 14 regular-season games, hitting 24-of-30 field goals and 32-of-33 extra points, it was that playoff loss to Chicago that sealed his fate. He missed two field goals and an extra point. That’s a huge problem in a postseason game, and it’s exactly why the Packers moved on from him in the offseason. So, which McManus are the Rams getting? The 2015 hero or the guy who struggled when it mattered most last year?
Another Kicking Crisis in LA
This isn’t the first time the Rams have had kicker drama this season. They already cut Harrison Mevis last week because of his rough start. Now, with Grupe out for who knows how long with a torn ACL, they’re truly desperate. McManus is the immediate answer, but it feels like they’re just swapping one question mark for another, especially given how things ended for him in Green Bay. The team is clearly trying to stabilize a position that’s been a nightmare. Can McManus, despite his recent playoff stumbles, bring some consistency to a team that desperately needs points?
The Rams are hitting the road to face the Raiders in Week 7. All eyes will be on McManus and whether he can quickly shake off those playoff ghosts and bring his Super Bowl-winning experience to a team that’s struggling to find its footing at a critical position.
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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