Rams kicker Blake Grupe is doubtful to return against the Cardinals after hurting his knee on the opening kickoff of his Los Angeles debut, according to Pro Football Talk and Yahoo Sports. Yahoo's Kari Anderson wrote that the injury came as he tried to make a tackle on the kickoff return. Yahoo also reported that Ethan Evans will be the Rams kicker for the rest of the game.
Grupe was signed this week to replace Harrison Mevis. SB Nation's Mark Schofield wrote that the Rams waived Mevis after he missed a pair of field goals in the Week 5 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons put the wider problem bluntly: "The Rams special teams are — and have been — a mess." The feed summaries don't say how long Grupe might be out or give a diagnosis beyond the knee.
Grupe did get on the field as a kicker before he left. Our box score for the game credits him with one field goal on one attempt, a 44-yarder, and one solo tackle, the one on the kickoff. The reporting doesn't say when the injury happened relative to that kick, so the order of events is unclear. Our data shows no points from him beyond that field goal. In the preseason he went 2 of 2 on field goals against Detroit, with a long of 46, but missed his only attempt against Atlanta and his only attempt at New England.
The game is close and still in progress. With 6:00 left in the second quarter, Los Angeles leads Arizona 9-6 at SoFi Stadium. The Rams have 83 total yards to the Cardinals' 116, so the kicking game matters here.
13:03 - 4th
The stakes run past one game. Los Angeles is 2-3, third in the NFC West, and coming off a 37-34 home loss to Buffalo, a game decided by three points in which Mevis missed twice. Arizona is 1-4 and has lost four straight. Evans has played in all five Rams games this season and has two tackles, so he is already on the roster. Whether he stays as the kicker, or the Rams make another signing, is not addressed in the reporting.
The Rams' next game is Sunday, Oct. 25, at Las Vegas. Grupe's status for that game will depend on how serious the knee injury is. Arizona hosts Denver the same day.
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