Rams Split Kicking Duties: McVay Tests Two-Kicker Roster Strategy

The Los Angeles Rams fielded two kickers on their 48-man game-day roster on Sunday, a tactical shift designed to exploit weaknesses in kickoff coverage during their 24-9 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Head coach Sean McVay assigned Brandon McManus to handle field goals and extra points, while Joshua Karty was elevated from the practice squad specifically for kickoff duties.

McVay cited the team's recent struggles in covering kickoffs as the primary driver for the change. In the previous week’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Rams struggled so severely with coverage that McVay opted for touchbacks, resulting in automatic ball placement at the opponent’s 35-yard line. The coach described that approach as unsustainable, leading to the decision to utilize Karty’s unorthodox kicking style.

Karty’s method involves landing kickoffs in the front end of the legal landing zone with an unorthodox bounce. This placement makes it difficult for returners to field the ball cleanly, providing Rams coverage players with a head start. The strategy produced an immediate result on the opening drive, as Chargers returner Derius Davis bobbled the ball and returned it for only nine yards.

McVay noted that the Rams had successful outcomes with Karty handling difficult kicks, which he referred to as “squib or those dirty balls,” during the 2025 season. He stated that while the roster composition may not always allow for such a setup, the specific success rate of Karty’s kickoffs justified the experiment for this matchup.

The approach carried inherent risks, as Karty twice placed the ball in front of the landing zone. Both instances resulted in penalties that moved the ball to the Chargers’ 40-yard line. Despite these infractions, McVay indicated a willingness to continue the two-kicker experiment, provided weekly roster needs permit.

McVay explained that the officiating semantics of a poorly fielded ball favor the coverage team. By forcing a difficult field, the Rams gain momentum and a positional advantage before the return unit can fully set up. McVay said the goal was to prevent the opponent from fielding the ball cleanly, thereby controlling the start of each defensive play.