Rams’ kicking carousel takes another wild turn as Josh Karty returns with a secret weapon
The Los Angeles Rams have gone through kickers this season like a frustrated gambler shuffling through lottery tickets, desperately searching for a winner.
Now, after cycling through three different kickers in three weeks, they’ve decided to reach into their past and give Josh Karty another shot.
But Karty isn’t the same kicker the Rams sent packing almost one year ago to the day. At least, that’s what he believes.
The Rams signed their former starting kicker to the practice squad Wednesday, adding another intriguing wrinkle to a special teams circus that has become one of the team’s biggest headaches over the past two seasons.
Harrison Mevis started the season before being released. Blake Grupe replaced him, only to suffer a season-ending torn ACL on his first kickoff. Veteran Brandon McManus arrived before Sunday’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, and now Karty is back in the building.
Four kickers, in three weeks, and the Rams are still searching for answers.
“I was dealing with some stuff last year, and I learned a lot about myself and how to grow and mature in all parts of my game,” Karty told reporters Wednesday.
That included a previously undisclosed hip issue that Karty admitted he probably should have rested instead of attempting to play through during his first stint with Los Angeles.
“I think last year I was dealing with a little hip thing that I probably should have just rested for a bit,” Karty said. “But I was a young guy, and I just didn’t do that.”
Now healthy, Karty believes he’s better equipped to handle the pressure of kicking in the NFL.
“I’m just healthier, and I think I’m a better kicker than I was at this time last year,” he said.
But the most fascinating part of Karty’s return might not involve field goals at all.
It’s his unusual knuckleball kickoff, a soccer-inspired technique that could give the Rams a weapon they’ve desperately needed while struggling with kickoff coverage throughout the season.
“I imagine the kickoffs were a large factor in the decision,” Karty said, admitting he can’t reveal too much regarding why the Rams called him on Tuesday to rejoin the team.
As for the secret behind the technique?
“Just try to pretend it’s like a free kick in soccer and knuckle that thing over the wall,” he said.
McVay acknowledged Wednesday that Karty’s special teams value factored into the decision to bring him back.
“We’re looking to increase and figure out ways to improve some of the areas that need to be improved upon,” McVay said.
What areas do the Rams need to improve upon? McVay made it clear on Monday it was kickoffs.
“It’s not google enough,” McVay said about the Rams kickoffs and coverage. “We’ve talked about this a lot and it has to get fixed. It’s not good enough and we cannot allow ourselves to do that. It’s one of those deals that’s driving me crazy. We have to figure it out and we haven’t yet.”
In trying to figure it out, that opens the door to an unusual possibility: The Rams could carry two kickers on their active game-day roster Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
McManus could remain the primary field-goal kicker, while Karty handles kickoffs, potentially using his knuckleball technique to create difficult returns and help a coverage unit that has repeatedly surrendered favorable field position.
It’s an unconventional arrangement, particularly for an NFL team already juggling injuries and limited roster spots, but the Rams have reached the point where conventional solutions haven’t exactly worked.
If Karty can prove his kickoff value while demonstrating improved accuracy and consistency on field goals, he could eventually reclaim the starting job outright. His leg strength could also give Los Angeles another option on attempts beyond 50 yards, and potentially from 60-plus, although he’d still have to prove that range under game conditions.
For now, Karty isn’t making any demands or guarantees.
“I’m just ready for whatever comes my way,” he said.
The Rams have spent much of this season searching for a kicker they can trust. In a strange twist, their answer might be the same guy they already had this time last year.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
- Admin
- California nuclear lab accused of severe systems failures putting national security at risk October 29, 2026
- In Michigan, El-Sayed Faces Heat From Former Primary Rival as Election Nears October 29, 2026
- Warriors barely hang on vs Ant-less Timberwolves despite Steph Curry’s nuclear night October 29, 2026
- Hackers expose the identities of more than 40,000 DHS employees October 29, 2026
- Kristaps Porzingis gets major medical procedure done amid Warriors absence October 29, 2026