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Los Angeles Rams kicker Blake Grupe suffered a torn ACL during his debut against the Arizona Cardinals. The team placed him on injured reserve and reportedly signed veteran Brandon McManus to replace him.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
The Los Angeles Rams' special teams unit faced further disruption after kicker Blake Grupe suffered a season-ending injury during his debut for the team. Grupe tore his ACL on Sunday during the Rams' loss to the Arizona Cardinals, according to head coach Sean McVay. The injury occurred on the kickoff following Grupe's successful field goal attempt.
Grupe, who weighed 156 pounds, attempted to tackle returner Devin Duvernay after making a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter. According to CBS Sports, Grupe lowered his shoulder to hit Duvernay and landed awkwardly, sustaining the knee injury. He did not complete the tackle and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Coach McVay addressed the incident on Monday, noting the instinctual nature of Grupe's decision. "[H]e did an instinctual thing to try to knock him out of bounds,” McVay said. "You’d like us to shoulder leverage the ball up on the front line first so that it doesn’t get spit out to him. But maybe you go lower and avoid the knee injury."
With Grupe sidelined, punter Ethan Evans assumed kicking duties. Evans successfully kicked an extra point in the fourth quarter. However, the Rams opted against using Evans for other attempts, choosing to go for a two-point conversion after a second-quarter touchdown, which failed, and going for it on fourth down later in the game, which also resulted in a turnover.
The Rams placed Grupe on injured reserve on Monday. This move follows the release of previous kicker Harrison Mevis, who missed two field goals in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills. Grupe had signed with the Rams to replace Mevis.
According to Yahoo Sports, citing NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Rams are reportedly signing veteran kicker Brandon McManus. McManus, 35, is in his 13th NFL season. He previously spent nine years with the Denver Broncos, where he was the franchise's second all-time leading scorer with 946 points, and most recently played for the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Blake Grupe posted a statement on social media thanking supporters and confirming his intent to recover. "Not at all how I envisioned my time in LA. The energy and excitement I felt going into this game was incredible. I couldn't wait to step on that field and show what I could do," Grupe wrote. "No choice other than to attack rehab and come back stronger and more prepared than ever."
The Rams entered the 2026 season as favorites to win the Super Bowl but have struggled with consistency, sitting at a 2-4 record through six weeks. The instability at the kicker position, marked by the release of Mevis and the immediate injury to Grupe, has complicated the team's special teams strategy. The signing of McManus represents an attempt to stabilize the position with a veteran who has extensive NFL experience.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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