Sean McVay laments departure of Greg Zuerlein, Rams cycle through third kicker

L.A. looking to stabilize kicking position second half of season

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

That’s the sentiment of Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay on the kicking position this season.

McVay’s first three seasons in L.A., he had one of the most consistent kickers in the NFL in Greg Zuerlein. Nicknamed “Leg-a-tron” because of his strong leg, Zuerlein made 82 percent of his field goals and 98 percent of his extra points during his eight years with the Rams. He had a touchback percentage of 66.5 percent and drilled a 57-yard field goal in overtime in the NFC Championship game to defeat the New Orleans Saints, advancing the Rams to the Super Bowl after the 2018 regular season.

But Zuerlein struggled in his final season with the Rams in 2019, making just 24 of 33 field goals (72 percent). The Rams moved on from Zuerlein and special teams coordinator John Fassel this offseason. Zuerlein, 32, dealt with a lingering groin injury his final season in Los Angeles that prevented him from practicing during the week, and the Rams looked to get younger at the position.

“Sometimes you don’t realize how good you have it until you don’t anymore, and I think that’s the honest answer,” McVay said about Zuerlein being gone. “I think it’s been a struggle. It’s been something that I know we’re working on and guys are certainly trying to get it figured out.”

Zuerlein signed a three-year, $7.5 million deal with the Dallas Cowboys in free agency, following Fassel to Dallas. This season, Zuerlein has returned to his old ways. He’s made 17-of-20 field goals (85 percent) and 15 of 17 extra points (88 percent). Zuerlein has a touchback percentage of 66 percent.

Things have not gone well for the Rams at the kicking spot. They drafted Samuel Sloman in the seventh round and anointed him the winner of a three-man competition during training camp, even though CFL Standout Lirim Hajrullahu and Austin MacGinnis appeared to perform better during practices and scrimmages open to reporters.

Sloman struggled with low trajectory on his kicks and ball placement on his kickoffs. He missed three extra points (two of which were blocked) and three field goals (one blocked) over the first seven games of the season. McVay decided to move on, signing veteran Kai Forbath. The Rams also brought back MacGinnis on he practice squad.

For Forbath, a L.A. native who kicked at UCLA, the move was a homecoming. However, Forbath also struggled, missing badly from 48 yards in his debut against the Miami Dolphins and missing an extra point in a win over the Seattle Seahawks last week.

Forbath suffered an ankle injury against the Seahawks and will be placed on injured reserve. McVay will now turn to MacGinnis. He will compete for the starting job with Matt Gay, who the Rams plan to sign from the Indianapolis Colts’ practice to their active roster once he passes through COVID-19 protocols and arrives at the end of the week.

MacGinnis, 25, was an All-SEC selection at Kentucky, where he finished with the school record for field goals (51) and 80 percent field goal percentage.

MacGinnis attended the Chicago Bears rookie minicamp in 2018 and tried out again 2019 but did not win the job. He latched on with the Memphis Express of the AAF in 2019, finishing nine of 11 on field goals, with a long of 51 yards. MacGinnis later played for XFL’s Dallas Renegades, going a perfect 10 of 10 on field goals before that league folded.

Gay, 26, was selected in the fifth-round of the NFL draft last year by Tampa Bay. He made 27 of 35 field goal attempts and 43 of 48 extra points his rookie season and was replaced by the Bucs with Ryan Succop.

Gay, a University of Utah product where he won the Lou Groza award as college’s top kicker in 2017, was signed to the Colts’ practice squad in September.

Overall, kicking has been a disaster for the Rams this season. They are fourth worst in the NFL in field goal percentage (71.43 percent), fourth worst in extra-point percentage (84.6 percent) and No. 27 in kickoff return average allowed (27.7 yards a return).

McVay wants to recreate the consistency he had with Zuerlein for the remainder of this season as the Rams make a playoff push.

“We’re hopeful that whether it’s Austin or Matt, we’ll be able to address it and have some more consistency from that spot that unfortunately we haven’t had this year,” McVay said.