The Los Angeles Rams have cut placekicker Harrison Mevis following a 37-34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. A person with knowledge of the decision informed The Associated Press on Tuesday that the team will replace Mevis by signing Blake Grupe from the New York Jets' practice squad. The move follows two missed field-goal attempts by Mevis during the game against Buffalo, including a 48-yard attempt in overtime that was blocked.
Head coach Sean McVay stated after the game that the kicking unit "cost us the game," describing the performance as "not even close to good enough." The defeat dropped the Rams to a 2-3 record for the season. Mevis, who had missed four field-goal attempts through the first five games of the 2026 season, led the NFL in missed field goals at the time of his release.
Mevis first joined the Rams midway through the 2025 season, replacing Joshua Karty. During his first regular season with the team, he converted 12 of 13 field-goal attempts and was six-for-six during the playoffs as the Rams reached the NFC championship. However, he struggled at the start of the 2026 season, converting only five of nine attempts. Grupe, the incoming specialist, previously played for the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, maintaining a career field-goal conversion rate of 81.9%.
The change in kickers involves the acquisition of a player from another team's practice squad, a transaction that impacts both the Rams and the New York Jets. Grupe is expected to take over placekicking duties, including field goals and extra points. The Rams have struggled with special teams consistency for two seasons, having previously fired coordinator Chase Blackburn in December 2025 following a similar overtime loss involving a missed field goal.
The move addresses performance issues during the 2026 season under McVay and general manager Les Snead. By making an in-season change at a specialized position, the Rams are seeking to improve a phase of the game that McVay identified as a cause for their loss. The team’s special teams coordinator, Bubba Ventrone, will now work to integrate Grupe into the operation.