Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Rams brought back kicker Joshua Karty after cutting him last season. Karty was just 10-of-15 on field goals last year and 23-of-26 on extra points. He also had four kicks that were blocked. 

It’s not a bad idea for the Rams to add a younger kicker on the practice squad. Brandon McManus should help add some stability to the kicking operation as a veteran. However, heading into next season, the Rams would be right back at square one in their search for a kicker. 

If nothing else, Karty gives the Rams a young, promising kicker that they can hope to develop. The presence of McManus, a different long snapper, and a new special teams coordinator could be beneficial to Karty. At one point, Karty was a talented kicker. From the end of his rookie season until his two blocked kicks against the Philadelphia Eagles, Karty had made 21 consecutive field goals and was 5-for-5 on kicks of 50 yards or more. If the Rams can get that out of Karty again, it could work out. 

The Real Reason the Rams Brought Back Josh Karty

For the time being, where Karty may provide some value is on the kickoff unit. The Rams currently rank 31st in average kickoff yards allowed per return. The Rams have allowed an average of 29.7 yards per return, which is only ahead of the Miami Dolphins. Last week, the Rams allowed returns of 36 and 42 yards on their first two kickoffs of the game. It’s something that is continuously eating at head coach Sean McVay. 

“We've talked about this a lot and it has to get fixed. It's not good enough and we cannot allow ourselves to do that,” said McVay earlier this week. “I have to figure that out. It's one of those deals that’s driving me crazy. We have to figure it out and we haven't yet.”

At this point, it seems as if McVay is willing to try anything to fix the kickoff coverage unit, which may be partially why the Rams brought back Karty. Last year, Karty led all kickers in fewest yards allowed via kickoff with 17.7. That’s over 10 yards better than where the Rams are currently. 

A big reason for Karty’s success on kickoff was his ability to execute a ‘knuckleball’-type kick that made it difficult for the returner to handle. This allowed the Rams’ coverage unit time to get downfield as the returner struggled to handle the ball. 

The knuckleball kickoff is something that the Rams executed very well last season. The Rams currently rank last in kickoff DVOA at -8.6 percent. The Rams had the fourth-best kickoff unit last year, ranking fourth. With the overall lack of speed on the coverage unit, the knuckleball kickoff could be a benefit. 

Can the Rams Make Room for Two Kickers on Gameday?

Ideally, the Rams would only want to have one kicker activated on gameday. It’s not at all customary for teams to have two kickers active on gamedays. However, until the Rams can trust Karty enough in the field goal operation, it may be their only choice. 

“We'll work through those things and just see how the week goes,” said McVay on Wednesday. “When you have 48 bodies and the different guys that are filling in, you have to really ask yourself, 'Okay, does that really make sense? Does it fit?' There are a lot of layers to it.”

Given some of the Rams’ injuries, they do have some flexibility to create space on the 48-man roster. There is a scenario where it could work. Here’s how the gameday roster could look on Sunday against the Chargers:

Quarterback (2): Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett
Running Back (3): Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Dean Connors
Wide Receiver (6): Puka Nacua, Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Alex Bachman, CJ Daniels
Tight End (3): Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen
Offensive Line (7): Alaric Jackson, Steve Avila, Dylan McMahon, Kevin Dotson, Warren McClendon, David Quessenberry, Beaux Limmer
Defensive Line (5): Aaron Donald, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis, Ty Hamilton, Larrell Murchison
EDGE Rusher (5): Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart, Wesley Bailey, Desjuan Johnson, Darryl Peterson III
Linebacker (4): Nate Landman, Omar Speights, Shaun Dolac, Grant Stuard
Cornerback (4): Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Josh Wallace, Emmanuel Forbes
Safety (5): Quentin Lake, Kam Curl, Kam Kinchens, Jaylen McCollough, Maximus Pulley
Special Teams (4): Brandon McManus, Josh Karty, Ethan Evans, Jake McQuaide. 
Inactives (5): Ty Simpson (Emergency QB), Max Klare, Coleman Shelton (Injured), Bill Murray, Joe Cardona (Injured)

How the Rams Could Make Room for Josh Karty on Gameday

It’s very possible that the Rams wanted Jon Rhattigan to be active for special teams this week after signing him. However, with the injury to Cardona, they’ll need to use one of their two practice squad elevations on McQuaide, leaving the other available for Karty.

While unconventional, it is doable for the Rams to have two kickers active on gameday. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and for the past month, it’s been easy to hear the desperation in McVay’s voice.

The Rams have lost several games this season in which special teams have played a significant role. It’s not something the Rams can just sit back and not do anything in hopes that it gets better. Through seven weeks of the season, that hasn’t been the case. The Rams may not activate two kickers on gameday and simply keep Karty available on the practice squad. However, they have reached a point where they at least have to consider it.