Quick Read
- Rams named Harrison Mevis their starting kicker for Week 10 vs. 49ers.
- Joshua Karty remains on the roster but lost the starting job after multiple missed kicks.
- Mevis will make his NFL regular season debut; he excelled at Missouri and in the UFL.
- Jake McQuaide returns as long snapper to stabilize special teams.
- Coach Sean McVay says the kicking role will be evaluated week to week.
Why the Rams Chose Mevis: Searching for Consistency in a Turbulent Season
In the world of NFL football, few roles are as scrutinized—and as unforgiving—as that of a kicker. For the Los Angeles Rams, the 2025 season has been especially turbulent on special teams, with missed opportunities and blocked kicks looming large in the outcomes of tight games. This week, head coach Sean McVay made the call: Harrison Mevis, a rookie with a reputation for handling big moments in college, will get his shot as the Rams’ starting kicker in Sunday’s crucial divisional matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s not a decision made lightly. Joshua Karty, the Rams’ incumbent kicker, has struggled to meet expectations this year. While McVay insists that Karty “isn’t going anywhere,” the numbers tell a sobering story. Karty has converted just 10 of his 15 field goal attempts through the first eight games—a 66.7% success rate that falls well short of league standards. Three of those misses came from inside 40 yards, a range where reliability is expected. He’s also missed three extra points, and the special teams unit as a whole has suffered from execution errors and breakdowns.
“There’s a lot of layers to it,” McVay said, explaining the decision to start Mevis over Karty. “I still do have a lot of confidence in Josh Karty, he’s not going anywhere. But based on just some of the things that we tried to evaluate throughout the course of the week, those guys both did a really good job. I was really pleased and proud of how Josh handled himself this week. He’s got a bright future.” (therams.com)
Harrison Mevis: College Standout, UFL Success, NFL Debut
Mevis arrives in Los Angeles with an impressive pedigree, even if his NFL experience is just beginning. Known as “The Thiccer Kicker” for his size and strong leg, Mevis was an All-American at Missouri and set the SEC record with a dramatic 61-yard game-winning field goal. After going undrafted in 2024, he bounced between practice squads and spent time with the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL, where he converted 21 of 23 field goals (91.3%), with both misses coming from beyond 50 yards.
Mevis’s reliability under pressure and his ability to hit long kicks made him an appealing option for the Rams. The team signed him to the practice squad earlier this week and quickly elevated him to the starting role after evaluating his performance in practice.
Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium will be Mevis’s first-ever appearance in an NFL regular season contest. McVay and special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn have emphasized that the kicking operation is a team effort and that mistakes haven’t fallen solely on Karty. But with the Rams (6-2) in playoff contention, every point counts—and the margin for error is razor thin.
Special Teams Overhaul: Not Just the Kicker
The Rams are also shaking things up at long snapper. Jake McQuaide, a 14-year veteran who snapped for the team from 2011 to 2020, returns to take over for Alex Ward, whose recent struggles with snap accuracy have drawn scrutiny. McQuaide’s experience is expected to bring stability to a unit that has suffered from breakdowns in protection and execution.
The Rams’ special teams miscues have been costly. In a September loss to Philadelphia, two of Karty’s field goal attempts were blocked in the fourth quarter—one of which was returned for a game-ending touchdown. Against the 49ers last month, Karty missed a 53-yard attempt and had an extra point blocked. Last week, he missed both a 39-yard field goal and an extra point in a blowout win over New Orleans.
Special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn put it bluntly: “The operation and the standard that we have set hasn’t been reached to this point. I think we all know that, and it’s about what’s best for the Rams. We love all the players that we have here, but we just have to always continue to evaluate. At the end of the day, competition breeds success.” (FOX Sports)
What’s Next for Karty, Mevis, and the Rams?
McVay’s approach to the kicker position is pragmatic and flexible. “When we sit down and talk to Josh, there’s really three possible scenarios,” he said. “We’ll sit down on Monday and we’ll say, ‘we’re going to continue to go with Mevis and he’ll work and continue to get better on his own, we’ll go back to him, or we’ll continuously have this competition.’”
For now, Karty remains on the roster, and Mevis’s opportunity is both a test and a chance to secure a more permanent role. Karty, a sixth-round pick out of Stanford in 2024, has two years left on his rookie deal, but the Rams could move on without significant financial impact. The same goes for Ward, whose contract does not present obstacles to change.
As for Mevis, Sunday’s game is more than just a job audition—it’s a pressure-packed debut that could shape the Rams’ season and his own professional future. The team is hoping that his collegiate composure and recent success in the UFL will translate to the NFL stage, where the stakes are higher and the spotlight brighter.
“I think he’s handled himself well. He’s kicked in a lot of big games,” McVay said. “But I think at the end of the day, you have to have the clarity and the courage to be able to make the decisions that you think are best. And this is what we think is the best way to be able to move forward.”
With the playoff race heating up and every point on the scoreboard crucial, the Rams’ decision to start Mevis and re-sign McQuaide is a calculated gamble. Whether this new combination delivers the stability the team desperately needs will be revealed on Sunday—and in the weeks to come.
In the NFL, change often comes swiftly and without sentiment. The Rams’ willingness to adapt—benching a struggling kicker, reshuffling the long snapper, and giving a rookie his first shot—shows both the urgency and the ruthlessness that define professional sports. If Harrison Mevis rises to the occasion, this could be the turning point that steadies the Rams’ postseason ambitions. If not, the search for reliability will continue, with the margin for error shrinking each week.