Rams carry two kickers amid 4-4 season

Eleven wins are the target number for the Los Angeles Rams to secure a playoff spot, a threshold that has become difficult to reach after their 4-4 start. To protect that goal, head coach Sean McVay is maintaining an unusual roster structure by keeping two kickers active simultaneously. This move directly addresses the special teams instability that contributed to the team's failure to advance in the previous season.

The current setup assigns specific duties to each player. Brandon McManus handles field goals and extra points, while Joshua Karty focuses exclusively on kickoffs. Karty, a 2024 draft pick, utilizes knuckleball kickoffs designed to reduce return yardage. However, his execution has been inconsistent. In the recent 24-9 victory over the San Diego Chargers, two of his kickoffs fell short of the landing zone, giving Los Angeles opponents possession at their own 40-yard line. A third kick landed on the 19-yard line. Karty described the performance as likely his worst kickoff day since last year, noting he may have attempted to do too much on the ball.

The Rams' reliance on this dual-kicker strategy stems from a turbulent start to the season. Harrison Mevis, who replaced Karty after the latter was released following a low point that included two blocked kicks against Philadelphia, struggled early in 2026. The team then turned to Blake Grupe, a 156-pound kicker who made a field goal against Arizona but suffered a season-ending knee injury on a return attempt. McManus has since filled the void on points after the ball, recording one field goal and eight extra points in two games.

Karty, who majored in computer science at Stanford, approaches the knuckleball kick with mathematical precision. He aims to land the ball between the 1- and 19-yard lines, calculating that every 10 yards of field position gained is equivalent to one point on the scoreboard. McVay expressed confidence that Karty will improve, acknowledging that the aerodynamics of the fluttering ball make it less predictable than a standard kickoff.

The margin for error for the Rams is currently thin. With the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks looking strong, Los Angeles needs at least seven wins from their remaining nine games. The schedule includes home matches against Green Bay and Kansas City, as well as two games against Seattle in the final three weeks. The team anticipates that key players such as Myles Garrett, Davante Adams, and Kobie Turner will return to the field by late in the season, potentially allowing the Rams to consolidate their kicking duties into one player.

Indirectly, the Rams benefit from a shift in the league's talent flow. The Indianapolis Colts traded DeForest Buckner to San Francisco and Quenton Nelson to Seattle, strengthening two of Los Angeles' divisional rivals. While the Rams do not plan to trade quarterback Justin Herbert, their focus remains on winning enough games to avoid relying on external factors for a postseason berth.