Rams make a kicker switch, releasing Harrison Mevis and signing Blake Grupe

The Los Angeles Rams are making an immediate change at kicker, releasing Harrison Mevis and signing Blake Grupe, according to NFL Network reporters Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport as relayed by Pro Football Rumors. The move follows a Week 5 performance that reportedly left Mevis short on both attempts at a field goal conversion, putting added pressure on the Rams’ special teams going forward.

In Mevis’ case, the trigger for the decision is described as a pair of missed conversion attempts. While the report does not spell out every attempt in the game, it characterizes the issue as a failure to convert either of his two goal field goal attempts. For a position that can swing field position and scoring momentum in tight NFL contests, two misses in a single game can be difficult to absorb at any stage of the season, especially for teams that invest heavily in consistency.

The Rams’ response is to bring in Grupe from the practice squad of the New York Jets. Signing a practice-squad kicker often indicates a desire for a reset without waiting for a longer market cycle, and it allows a new player to absorb the team’s protection, snap and hold timing before the next game week. It also gives the Rams a chance to evaluate whether Grupe’s work in practice can translate quickly into game-day reliability.

The report places the transaction squarely in the context of special teams performance, not broader roster restructuring. That distinction matters, because it suggests Los Angeles is trying to correct a narrow, high-leverage problem rather than overhaul multiple pieces of its kicking game. Special teams is still an ecosystem, though, and changes at kicker can affect long snapper and holder rhythms, return-week planning, and even how coaches manage fake-shot or micro-manage decisions around field goals and extra points.

For Grupe, the challenge is straightforward but not simple: establish trust with a coaching staff that is clearly acting after a short runway. Practice squad specialists can enter games with strong work habits, but the step from practice to stadium pressure can expose differences in routine, communication, and control under live conditions. For Mevis, the change closes a chapter in Los Angeles and shifts attention to how the Rams will structure the kicking role from here.

As the Rams move into their next game week, the most important question will be whether this swap stabilizes the kicking unit immediately, particularly on field goal attempts. The team will also likely monitor how its special teams unit performs as a whole, since the same underlying mechanics that create a missed kick can show up in timing, placement, and protection. Until there is official league documentation or additional reporting detailing game-day outcomes and subsequent roster status, this transaction should be viewed as a report of a reported roster move rather than a confirmed, fully detailed ledger entry.