Rams kicker Blake Grupe doubtful to return after knee injury against Cardinals
Blake Grupe was hurt on a first-quarter kickoff in his Rams debut, shortly after making a 44-yard field goal. Punter Ethan Evans was set to take over kicking duties.
Los Angeles Rams kicker Blake Grupe was doubtful to return from a knee injury after making a tackle attempt on a first-quarter kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, October 18. The injury left the Rams preparing to use punter Ethan Evans for kicking duties during Grupe’s first game with the team.
Grupe had made a 44-yard field goal earlier in the quarter, his only field-goal attempt before the injury. CBS Sports reported that he was hurt while trying to tackle Arizona returner Devin Duvernay on the kickoff that followed the kick. The Rams subsequently announced that Grupe was doubtful to return, according to CBS Sports and LA Sports Report.
How the Rams adjusted their kicking unit
CBS Sports reported that Evans would serve as the kicker after Grupe left. The change also affected the holding role: receiver Jordan Whittington could take that job, CBS Sports reported, citing ESPN’s observation that he was practicing holds on the sideline. Whittington’s role was a possibility at that point, rather than a confirmed assignment.
Evans had not attempted an NFL field goal before Sunday’s game, according to LA Sports Report. The outlet reported that he made 10 of 18 field-goal attempts in his senior season at Wingate University, with a longest successful kick of 41 yards. Those college figures provide some background on his kicking experience, but the reports did not establish whether he attempted a kick after Grupe’s injury.
Why Grupe had just joined Los Angeles
The Rams signed Grupe on Tuesday, October 13, after waiving Harrison Mevis the previous day, LA Sports Report reported. Mevis had missed both field-goal attempts in Monday’s overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills, according to CBS Sports, including a blocked attempt that could have won the game. LA Sports Report said Mevis had made five of nine field goals for the season and missed his final three attempts before his release.
Grupe’s arrival was meant to address that kicking problem. Before joining Los Angeles, he had played for the New Orleans Saints until midway through the 2025 season and had subsequent stops with the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets, CBS Sports reported. He made all 11 of his field-goal attempts for Indianapolis over the final five weeks of the 2025 season, according to LA Sports Report. The Rams’ doubtful-to-return designation concerned Sunday’s game; the team had not announced an injury diagnosis or a timetable for Grupe’s return.
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Sources and context
- Rams’ Kicker Problems Worsen With Unfortunate InjuryLA Sports Report, by Aaron Coloma; syndicated on Yahoo Sports
- Rams kicker Blake Grupe doubtful to return after suffering knee injury minutes into L.A. debutCBS Sports
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.