Rams Add Veteran Mcmanus to Address Kicking Woes
WHO:
therams.com - McManus said he had spent the previous two months coaching his children’s soccer teams in Florida and had received calls from teams about opportunities at the beginning of the season.
therams.com - McManus has three sons: eight-year-old twins and a six-year-old.
therams.com - Rams punter Ethan Evans and former Packers long snapper Matt Orzech and punter Daniel Whelan were mentioned by McManus in discussing adjusting to new specialists.
Draft Sharks - The Los Angeles Rams signed kicker Brandon McManus.
therams.com - McManus, 35, is a kicker who most recently played for the Green Bay Packers.
therams.com - Blake Grupe was the Rams’ kicker before his injury; the team placed him on Injured Reserve.
therams.com - The Rams placed nose tackle Poona Ford and wide receiver Davante Adams on Injured Reserve.
NY Post - Rams head coach Sean McVay turned to veteran McManus after Grupe’s season-ending injury.
Heavy NFL - McManus was released by the Packers after his tenure with the team ended.
WHAT:
therams.com - McManus said, “But I'm a competitor, and like I said, I love this game so much,” and said he was excited to have an opportunity with the Rams.
therams.com - The Rams worked out McManus and veteran kicker Matt Prater on the same day.
therams.com - McManus said he had worked with “eight or nine punters” during his nine years in Denver.
therams.com - McManus said his sons asked whether he could get autographs from his new teammates; he told them to ask the players themselves if they met them.
therams.com - McManus said his sons were excited to watch him play on television again and that their friends at school talked about his NFL career.
therams.com - McManus helped Denver win Super Bowl 50.
Draft Sharks - McManus is the Rams’ third kicker in as many weeks; the team cut kicker Harrison Mevis.
therams.com - The Rams signed McManus to replace Grupe, who tore his ACL in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
therams.com - Across 25 games with Green Bay, McManus made 44 of 51 field-goal attempts (86.3%) and 62 of 63 extra-point attempts.
therams.com - McManus’s 2024 performance included 20 of 21 field goals (95%), three of three field goals from 50 or more yards, and all 30 extra points.
therams.com - McManus spent the 2023 season as Jacksonville’s kicker and his first nine NFL seasons (2014–23) with the Denver Broncos.
therams.com - McManus entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent on Indianapolis’s 2013 offseason roster, joined the New York Giants’ 2014 offseason roster, and was traded to Denver later that summer.
therams.com - Ford’s ruptured triceps injury is season-ending; Adams’s ruptured semitendinosus is expected to keep him out 6–10 weeks.
Newsweek - The Rams signed veteran McManus after their loss to the Cardinals.
Heavy NFL - The Rams worked out McManus before signing him.
WHERE:
therams.com - The Rams are based in Los Angeles; the signing was announced from Woodland Hills, California.
therams.com - McManus played for the Packers in Green Bay, the Jaguars in Jacksonville, and the Broncos in Denver.
WHEN:
Heavy NFL - McManus signed with the Rams five months after the Packers released him.
therams.com - McManus played for Green Bay across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
therams.com - Grupe was placed on Injured Reserve on Monday; the Rams announced McManus’s signing on Tuesday.
WHY:
therams.com - McManus said he felt bad for Blake Grupe after Grupe’s injury and wished him the best in his recovery.
therams.com - The Rams signed McManus because Grupe tore his ACL and was placed on Injured Reserve.
NY Post - The signing followed Grupe’s season-ending injury as the Rams sought a replacement amid continued kicking problems.
HOW:
Heavy NFL - The Rams worked out the 35-year-old McManus before signing him.
therams.com - The Rams placed Ford and Adams on Injured Reserve; Grupe was also placed on that list after his ACL tear.
The Los Angeles Rams have signed veteran kicker Brandon McManus after Blake Grupe tore his ACL and was placed on Injured Reserve. McManus, 35, most recently played for Green Bay and joins a team that has used three kickers in as many weeks. The Rams worked him out alongside veteran Matt Prater before making the move. Across 25 games with the Packers, McManus converted 44 of 51 field goals and 62 of 63 extra points. He previously kicked for Jacksonville and spent nine seasons with Denver, helping the Broncos win Super Bowl 50. McManus said he was excited for the opportunity and had spent the previous two months coaching his children’s soccer teams in Florida. He has three sons, who are eager to watch him play on television again. The Rams also placed nose tackle Poona Ford and receiver Davante Adams on Injured Reserve.