Blake Grupe went down on a kickoff tackle Sunday afternoon and became doubtful to return with a knee injury, the Rams announced mid-game. The team signed him Wednesday. He replaced Harrison Mevis, who was waived that same day after the Rams claimed him off waivers in early January. Los Angeles is now hunting for its third placekicker in fourteen days.
Grupe attempted the tackle on a kickoff return during the Rams' playoff game. The injury occurred on special teams coverage, the exact scenario most teams try to keep specialists away from by design. The Rams ruled him doubtful to return within the quarter. Grupe spent most of the 2023 season with New Orleans, converting 24 of 28 field goals and 34 of 35 extra points before the Saints waived him in December. He kicked in three games for the Texans earlier this season, making 4 of 5 from distance and all six point-after attempts.
The specialist carousel tells you what the front office thinks of its depth chart when playoff seeding is locked and the coaching staff is already sketching January game plans. Mevis joined the Rams on January 3 after Kansas City released him. He never attempted a field goal for Los Angeles. The team moved on after one week, bringing in Grupe for familiarity—Rams special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn worked with kickers in New Orleans' system before joining LA's staff in 2024. That institutional overlap made Grupe the safer mid-week add. Four days later, he's hurt.
Teams carry one kicker. When he goes down in-game, the punter attempts field goals or the offense goes for two after every touchdown. If Grupe cannot play next week, the Rams will be working out free agents on short rest between playoff rounds. The available pool in mid-January is limited: kickers who were cut in-season, practice squad players from eliminated teams, or specialists finishing second-year developmental contracts in spring leagues. None of those profiles inspire confidence when a franchise is one missed 48-yarder from elimination.
Watch whether Los Angeles signs a kicker to the active roster by Tuesday or brings someone into the building Wednesday for a live workout. Grupe's MRI results will be filed with the league by Monday evening. If he's unavailable for the divisional round, the Rams are auditioning a new leg with fewer than six days of practice reps before kickoff. Punter Ethan Evans has not attempted a field goal in a regular-season game since college.