Did anyone have the New York Jets losing a kicker off their practice squad on their bingo card this week? I sure didn’t. The Los Angeles Rams are signing kicker Blake Grupe away from the Jets’ practice squad after releasing kicker Harrison Mevis, according to Ian Rapoport. That move came after the Rams’ Monday Night Football loss to the Buffalo Bills. A loss in which Mevis went 0/2 on field goals, putting him at 5/9 on the year. 

Make no mistake, this one came out of nowhere. Grupe was a name Jets fans got to know briefly as New York picked him up from the Colts due to Jason Sanders’ struggles late in the preaseason. Now he’s headed to Los Angeles with a real shot to have and keep an NFL kicking job.

How Blake Grupe got here

Grupe was sort of a part of the Jets’ kicking competition this offseason. That battle ultimately ended with Jason Sanders getting the starting nod for the season. Grupe didn’t win the job, as was the case in Indianapolis as well, but New York kept him around on the practice squad. A sign that they were likely not super confident in Sanders, and that they had seen some positive things from Grupe. 

That decision made sense. Kickers are one of those positions where you never really know when you’ll need a backup plan, and having a guy who already knows your operation is valuable. Grupe spent the latter part of the preseason working with the Jets’ specialists, so he didn’t have a ton of time to acclimate.

Heck, the Jets saw that with a lot of guys considering how many they brought in for workouts during the preseason.

Now, that’s the risk with the practice squad. Any team can come along and sign one of your guys to its active roster, and there isn’t much you can do about it. The Rams needed a kicker, they liked what they saw in Grupe, and they pounced.

Why the Rams made the move

I think the timing tells you a lot here. The Rams moved on from Mevis right after a loss on a national stage to a Bills team that’s one of the best in the AFC. You don’t usually cut your kicker the day after a game unless you didn’t like what you saw.

Los Angeles is a team that expects to compete every year under head coach Sean McVay. When you have a roster built to win now, you can’t afford to leave points on the board, and the Rams clearly decided a change at kicker couldn’t wait.

That’s where Grupe comes in. He’s getting a real chance to prove himself on a team with playoff aspirations. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a lot of pressure for a kicker who just lost a camp battle. But it’s also exactly the kind of opportunity that a specialist dreams about.

What it means for the Jets

So, what does this mean for New York? Honestly, not a whole lot in the short term. Sanders is the starter, and that isn’t changing because of this move. The Jets made their decision in camp, and they’ve stuck with it. Sanders is currently 8/9 from field goal range on the year and has only missed one of his eight extra points. Honestly, he’s been doing a fine job all things considered. 

The bigger question is depth. If something happens to Sanders, the Jets no longer have a familiar face sitting on the practice squad ready to step in. They’ll have to go find another option, and that’s never ideal in the middle of the season. Kickers are obviously not at high risk for injury but you just never know. Especially on that MetLife turf. 

And look, losing a player off the practice squad in an unexpected fashion is just kind of how things go with the Jets sometimes. It’s not a crushing blow by any means. But it’s one more small headache for a team that has had plenty of them over the years.

I believe this is a good move for Grupe, and I’d be rooting for him to make the most of it in Los Angeles. As for the Jets, they’re going to be fine at kicker with Sanders. They’ll just need to find a new backup plan sooner rather than later, because you never know when you’ll need one.