Special teams chaos has quietly threatened to derail entire seasons before, but the Los Angeles Rams are facing that nightmare in real time. When a franchise starts churning through kickers and long snappers mid-year, it usually signals a deeper panic. That panic hit a boiling point when the Rams brought back former kicker Joshua Karty and veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide to the practice squad.
If you've watched this unit stumble through blown assignments and coverage breakdowns over the last few months, you know these moves aren't just minor roster tweaks. They're an admission that the current setup isn't working.
The Never-Ending Kicker Carousel in Los Angeles
Kicking stability is a luxury most NFL teams take for granted until they lose it. The Rams certainly lost it. Joshua Karty entered the picture as a sixth-round draft pick in 2024, showing early promise before hitting a brutal wall in 2025 where he missed five field goals in his first eight games and got waived.
Since then, the position has turned into a revolving door. Harrison Mevis stepped in last year, but he didn't last. More recently, Blake Grupe took over kicking duties only to suffer a knee injury while making a touchdown-saving tackle on a kick return against the Arizona Cardinals. That forced the front office to scramble for veteran Brandon McManus just to stabilize the operation.
Bringing Karty back to the practice squad isn't just about nostalgia. It's a calculated safety net. Sean McVay and his coaching staff realized they needed internal familiarity and depth because relying on a single healthy leg in today's NFL is a dangerous gamble.
Long Snapper Nostalgia and Coverage Woes
Kickers don't work in a vacuum. They need a pristine snap and a clean hold every single time. That explains why Jake McQuaide is back in the building. McQuaide originally manned the long snapper job in St. Louis and Los Angeles from 2011 through 2020, and he returned briefly last year.
When coverage units give up massive returns—like the ones surrendered during a recent win over the Las Vegas Raiders—finger-pointing usually targets the return team, but snapping rhythm and operation times play a massive role. McQuaide brings institutional knowledge and veteran presence to a unit that desperately needs calm leadership.
Alongside Karty and McQuaide, the Rams also added linebacker Jon Rhattigan to the practice squad to bolster tackling depth on coverage units. To make room, the front office let go of offensive lineman Austin Blake, cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean, and linebacker Elias Neal.
Fixing Special Teams Before It Costs a Playoff Spot
Football games are routinely decided by three points or a single botched coverage assignment. At 3-4, the Rams don't have the margin for error to treat special teams as an afterthought. Sean McVay acknowledged that while McManus performed well in his debut, the team has to bulletproof every specialist spot against unexpected injuries and sophomore slumps.
Fixing a broken third phase of the game mid-season rarely looks pretty. It involves recycling familiar faces, chewing through practice squad spots, and hoping a former draft pick can recapture his rookie confidence if called upon.
If you want to see whether this team makes noise in the NFC West, stop looking exclusively at the offensive line or defensive secondary. Watch the guys running downfield on kickoffs. That's where the season will actually be saved or lost.
