The Los Angeles Rams have released kicker Harrison Mevis following a series of special teams errors, including two crucial field goal misses, in their recent overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. Blake Grupe, signed from the New York Jets’ practice squad, will replace Mevis.
Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed the decision in a news conference, expressing his frustration with the special teams unit’s performance. NFL.com and NBC Sports reported on Tuesday that Mevis’s dismissal came just a day after the team’s defeat.
Mevis’s Recent Performance
Harrison Mevis, affectionately known as the "Thiccer Kicker," had struggled significantly in his second NFL season. While he maintained a perfect record on 14 extra-point attempts, he missed four of his nine field goal tries. His performance in the 37-34 overtime loss to Buffalo was particularly damaging.
During the game, Mevis missed a 50-yard attempt on the Rams’ opening drive, which allowed the Bills to maintain an early lead. Later, disaster struck again when Gregory Rousseau of the Buffalo Bills blocked Mevis’s 48-yard attempt that would have won the game in overtime. While the block was partly attributed to the Rams’ linemen allowing Rousseau to surge through, the ball’s trajectory also appeared low and to the left, as detailed by NFL.com. This season’s struggles mark a sharp contrast to Mevis’s 2025 campaign, where he successfully converted 12 of 13 field goal attempts and all 39 extra-point tries.
Coaching Stability and New Kicker
Despite the issues plaguing the special teams unit, Head Coach Sean McVay has publicly backed special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone. McVay stated, "I have a lot of confidence in Bubba Ventrone… There’s no changes that are gonna be made there. We’re gonna keep working." This vote of confidence for Ventrone was confirmed by both NFL.com and NBC Sports.
The task of improving the Rams’ kicking game now falls to Blake Grupe. The 27-year-old was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets in August but was moved to their practice squad and did not kick for the team this season. Grupe brings experience from his time with the Saints and Colts, where he maintained an 81.9% field-goal accuracy and a 98.0% success rate on extra points over three seasons.
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