Rams Release K Harrison Mevis, Sign Blake Grupe

Mevis’ failure to convert either of his two goal field goal attempts proved costly in a 37-34 overtime loss to the Bills on Monday. He missed a 50-yarder in the first quarter and was unable to redeem himself on what would have been the game winner at the end of the fourth quarter. Bills outside linebacker Gregory Rousseau blocked Mevis’ 48-yard try and sent the game to OT. Bills kicker Tyler Bass went on to nail a 45-yarder to win an instant classic and send the Rams to 2-3.

Head coach Sean McVay expressed frustration with the Rams’ special teams performance afterward, saying (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN): “In the kicking game, especially with our PAT, field goal, not even close to good enough. It cost us the game tonight.”

This is now the second straight year McVay will make an in-season switch at kicker. Joshua Karty entered 2025 with the job after a solid rookie year, but he only lasted eight games. After Karty went 10 of 15 on field goals and 23 of 26 on extra points, Mevis came up from the Rams’ practice squad and took over for good. In going 12 of 13 on field goals and nailing all 39 extra points, Mevis was almost automatic in the regular season. He also excelled in the postseason, a three-game run in which he knocked in all 13 kicks (four FGs, nine PATs).

Much to McVay’s chagrin, Mevis’ near-spotless showing from last year didn’t carry over into this season. While he remained flawless on extra points (14 of 14), just five of his nine field goals went through the uprights before the Rams went in a different direction. Adding in Mevis’ failed conversions this year, the Rams have racked up 81 misses or blocks since McVay took the reins in 2017, Barshop notes. That’s the third-highest total in the NFL over span, and the Super Bowl hopeful Rams are left to hope Grupe will provide the same type of stability Mevis did over the last couple months of 2025.

Grupe has spent the majority of his career as a member of the Saints, with whom he debuted in 2023, but they waived him last November after he went a shaky 18 of 26 on the field goals. He ended his 45-game Saints tenure an unspectacular 75 of 94 on three-pointers (79.8%), though he did make all but two of his 88 PATs.

After New Orleans cut ties with Grupe, he caught on with Indianapolis and finished 2025 in excellent fashion. Grupe was good on all 21 kicks (11 FGs, 10 PATs), leading the Colts to bring him back on a one-year, $1.4MM deal. As of mid-August, it appeared Grupe would beat out Spencer Shrader to remain the Colts’ kicker. Shrader ended up winning the competition, however, and Grupe exited the organization when the Jets claimed him off waivers at the end of August.

Grupe gave the Jets a second kicker option to join Jason Sanders, who has since locked down the role. The Jets cut Grupe from their roster after Week 3, though he stuck around on their practice squad for a couple of weeks. The 27-year-old will now get a chance to help improve a dire special teams situation in Los Angeles.