Editor’s note: This is a developing story. More details will be added as they become available.
The Los Angeles Rams signed Sedalia native Blake Grupe off the New York Jets practice squad Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Grupe heads to the West Coast a day after the Rams fell to the Buffalo Bills 37-34 in overtime. Rams kicker Harrison Mevis went 0-for-2 on his field goal attempts during the loss — including a potential game-winning 48-yard attempt that was blocked in overtime.
After the game, Rams head coach Sean McVay said “in the kicking game, especially with our PAT/field goal [unit], not even close to good enough” and that “it cost us the game.”
Including Monday’s outcome, Mevis was 5-for-9 on field goals this season, prompting Los Angeles to release the University of Missouri alum on Tuesday.
“Appreciate [Mevis’s ]contributions,” McVay said in a video conference with reporters on Tuesday. “I thought he was a rock for us last year when we obviously struggled in that area, but ultimately, we need better production, and that’s what we’re hoping to get out of from Blake.”
Grupe had been with the Jets since Sept. 1. He was on the active 53-man roster for the first three games of the season, but never saw the field behind veteran Jason Sanders.
With Sanders off to a strong start, New York moved Grupe to its practice squad on Oct. 1.
The last time Grupe saw regular season game action was Jan. 4, when he was with the Indianapolis Colts.
Grupe played in five games with the Colts, finishing the 2025-26 season 11-for-11 on field goal attempts and 10-for-10 on extra point attempts.
Indianapolis re-signed Grupe in the spring, but waived the fourth-year pro after he went 2-for-4 on his field goal attempts in the preseason. The Colts opted to keep Spencer Shrader, who currently leads the NFL with a 16-for-16 conversion rate on field goals this season.
The Rams will be the fourth team Grupe has been a part of in two seasons. He started the 2025 season with the New Orleans Saints — the team he entered the NFL with in 2023 — before joining the Colts and then the Jets.
“This guy has experience,” McVay said of Grupe. “He did a great job for Indy last year, has kicked in a lot of big-time professional settings and we felt like he was the best guy available that had real game experience."
McVay indicated the Rams would not bring in any competition for Grupe.
“We debated back and forth, ‘do we want to create a competition similar to what we did with [Josh] Karty and Mevis when we first brought him in?’" McVay said. “We felt like the best thing was really just to be able to give [Grupe] an opportunity to come in here and do his thing, and hopefully build some real cool momentum that he had established in Indy.”
In his career, Grupe is 86-for-105 (81.9%) on his field goals, with a long of 60 yards. He holds a 96-for-98 (98%) conversion rate on extra points.
Grupe becomes the fifth kicker to join the Rams since they won the Super Bowl in 2022. He joins a unit led by special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, who was once with the Colts, though not at the same time as Grupe.
The Rams (2-3) host the Arizona Cardinals at 3:05 p.m. CDT on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Sports editor Jack Denebeim can be reached at 660-530-0142.
