Rams' Special Teams Problems Persist and Sean McVay Is Running Out of Answers

The Los Angeles Rams used to be renowned for how good they were on special teams. While Jeff Fisher didn’t do a lot well, the Rams’ special teams with John Fassel were always among the best in the NFL.

In Fisher’s last season, the Rams ranked third in special teams DVOA. It was one of the few things that looked good as the Rams finished that season 4-12. Sean McVay kept Fassel when he took over and the Rams ranked second in special teams DVOA in 2017.

When Stedman Bailey scored on the fake punt return vs the Seahawks #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/fRQrvfkMf5
— Back Then Football (@BackThenFB) August 18, 2026

From there, things began to spiral. In 2018, the Rams were 17th and ranked 30th by 2020 when McVay moved on from Fassel. Despite having the seventh-ranked special teams unit in 2021, the Rams were last in 2023.

Things hit a tipping point last year when the Rams lost multiple games with special teams playing a major role in those losses. After Week 16, McVay made his first in-season coordinator change, firing Chase Blackburn.

Rams' Renewed Commitment to Special Teams Hasn't Paid Off

Heading into this season, there was some optimism around the Rams’ special teams unit. McVay moved special teams periods toward the start of practice in an attempt to prioritize that phase of the game. He hired a respected special teams coordinatora in Bubba Ventrone. The Rams also signed Joe Cardona and Grant Stuard. They’ve added special teams players such as Maximus Pulley during the season.

“If you were at their camp, you’d heard about all of this, and the optimism that this would all be fixed—with a new commitment to getting it right,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “Having Ventrone, Cardona and Stuard helped, but more than just that, they were symbolic of a renewed commitment.”

However, here we are after Week 5, and the Rams are in an all-too-familiar situation. The problems started in Week 1. In Australia, the Rams allowed a 45-yard kickoff return to Deebo Samuel to start the second half. Against the Giants in Week 2, Mevis missed a 43-yard field goal and the Rams took a 15-yard penalty that resulted in points.

In Week 3, the Rams had issues on both the punt and punt return units, sparking a change as the team cut Xavier Smith. Against the Eagles, the Rams allowed a 41-yard punt return that turned into a touchdown. On Monday night, Harrison Mevis missed from 50 yards and had a potential game-winning kick blocked in overtime. McVay was asked after the game if he expected changes on special teams.

“Yeah, I'm going to evaluate everything,” said McVay.

It’s been a weekly theme despite it being something that the Rams and McVay have tried to fix. An argument can be made that they should have done more. Following last season, it was always odd that the Rams didn’t bring in replacements or competition for Harrison Mevis, Xavier Smith, or Ethan Evans.

It made sense why McVay was so upset after the game on Monday night. A great performance from Matthew Stafford and the offense and a timely turnover from the defense were put to waste because of special teams.

“We did some really good stuff and in the kicking game, especially with our PAT field goal, not even close to good enough,” McVay said. “It cost us the game tonight.”

This is about as upset as I’ve seen Sean McVay after a game. He blames himself for the conservative third and five call in OT and kicking the long field goal. There will likely be special teams changes this week. pic.twitter.com/Y06H3vLON1
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 13, 2026

As McVay has done so often since taking over as head coach, it was as if he expected to simply hire an experienced coordinator and let them figure it out. Again, few changes were made to the core personnel outside of Cardona and Stuard – two Ventrone guys.

Following Monday night’s loss, it was clear that changes needed to be made. However, the changes don’t seem simple at this point. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what fixes the Rams’ current special teams situation. What exactly is the solution?

The Special Teams Coaching Carousel Hasn't Worked

Since the Rams moved on from Fassel at the end of the 2019 season, they’ve gone through four different special teams coordinators, including interim Ben Kotwica last year. They hired John Bonamego, who lasted one season. Joe DeCamillis was better, but lasted just two seasons. McVay hired a young, up-and-coming coach in Blackburn. Blackburn arguably lasted longer than he should have at 2.5 seasons before he was fired. This offseason, McVay hired a well-respected special teams coordinator in Bubba Ventrone.

In eight years, the Rams have had five different special teams coordinators. While the Rams could fire Ventrone after five weeks, that would seemingly only continue the coaching carousel that they’ve had at that spot.

The Rams' Revolving Door at Kicker Continues

Back in 2023, the Rams opted not to bring back Matt Gay. The Rams signed Tanner Brown as an undrafted free agent before cutting him in the preseason and eventually adding Brett Maher ahead of Week 1. Maher was inconsistent and the Rams signed Lucas Havrisik. Havrisik didn’t make it to the end of the year and Maher was brought back.

In 2024, the Rams drafted Joshua Karty, who finished 29-for-34 as a rookie before being cut halfway through his second season. Karty was one of the best kickers in the NCAA at Stanford and was a finalist for the Lou Groza award in 2022, given to the best kicker in the country. The Rams then moved on to sign Mevis to finish out the year. They are now onto Blake Grupe after cutting Mevis on Tuesday.

Grupe is the sixth kicker that the Rams have signed since 2023. They’ve averaged almost two kickers per season.

Multiple things can be true here. The Rams needed to make a change at kicker. However, it’s also fair to say that Grupe may not be the answer. The Rams have done this kicking carousel for the last four years. Why is this time any different?

At this point, the Rams have done this same dance over and over. They’ve pulled the plug at kicker only to be back at square one. They’ve added a respected coordinator and are still one of the worst special teams units in the NFL.

The Rams' Special Teams Problems Go Beyond One Player or Coach

In 2023, the Rams had the seventh-worst special teams unit in DVOA history through five games. This year, the Rams top the list. Over the last four seasons, the Rams have had two of the seven worst special teams units. Only the 2023 Rams and 1977 Vikings made it to the playoffs.

If something doesn't change, this year’s Rams might be making some unfortunate history 😬 pic.twitter.com/zwlLkVR8PB
— FTN (@FTNFantasy) October 13, 2026

It’s easy to say that the Rams should just fire the special teams coordinator or make a change at kicker. A lot can be said about how much McVay prioritizes special teams. However, the Rams have fired the special teams coordinator and made changes at kicker for the past five years. It continues to be the same story. This offseason, McVay acknowledged that special teams needed to be better and he did prioritize it, yet the results haven’t reflected that.

We’re at a point where you ask, “where do the Rams even go from here?” It almost seems hopeless. While the names and processes have changed, the problems have persisted.

McVay has gotten so much right as the head coach of the Rams. However, special teams have remained his biggest blind spot. Despite all the changes he's made, none have produced sustained results.

The Rams have a roster capable of competing for a Super Bowl, but their special teams are actively holding them back. Until McVay finds a solution that lasts longer than a few weeks, it's hard to see how this story ends any differently.

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