Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday released kicker Harrison Mevis, less than 24 hours after his blocked field goal effort cost them victory against the Buffalo Bills. The transaction, confirmed by the NFL, follows the Rams’ 37-34 overtime loss to the Bills on Monday night, in which Mevis had a 48-yard attempt that would have sealed the game blocked by Greg Rousseau’s fingertips. Mevis had also missed a 50-yard field goal effort in the first quarter.
Moments after Mevis’s overtime miss, his Bills counterpart Tyler Bass kicked a 45-yarder for a dramatic Buffalo win. Head coach Sean McVay said the Rams’ kicking game had “cost us the game.” “I thought offensively and defensively we battled. Thought some of the coverage units, we did some really good stuff,” he told a post-game press conference. “And then the kicking game, especially with our PAT (point after touchdown), field goal, not even close to good enough. It cost us the game tonight.”
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Mevis, who signed but never played for the Carolina Panthers in 2024, was brought in by the Rams last season to replace Joshua Karty. In the 2025 season and post-season, Mevis made 18-of-19 field goal attempts. But Monday night’s misses sank his total this year to 5-of-9. Mevis is expected to be replaced by Blake Grupe, the former New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts kicker who has spent the past few weeks with the New York Jets practice squad, NFL.com and The Athletic reported. The NFL confirmed Grupe had terminated his contract with the Jets.
NFL sides often act decisively when kickers misfire. The highly scrutinized position has a higher turnover than many others. Kickers frequently join teams as free agents rather than through the draft system and are often on shorter contracts. Also on Tuesday, the NFL suspended Rams player Alaric Jackson for two games without pay for punching the Bills’ Bradley Chubb following the game.
Offensive tackle Jackson was caught on camera striking defensive linebacker Chubb in the face, following an apparent verbal altercation close to where on-field interviews were still taking place. Jackson was suspended for “an act of unsportsmanlike conduct” while his fellow players “were shaking hands and exchanging jerseys,” the NFL said in a statement. Barring an appeal, Jackson will miss the Rams’ upcoming games against the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders.
© 2024 AFP
