The Los Angeles Rams left SoFi Stadium on Sunday with two injury questions on top of an 18-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals: kicker Blake Grupe hurt his right knee in his first game with the club, and receiver Davante Adams limped off late in the fourth quarter. Sean McVay offered no update on either player after the game.
Both matter right away. Los Angeles is 2-4 after a second straight defeat, travels to Las Vegas next weekend, and finished Sunday with its punter doing the place-kicking.
A kicker lost on a tackle
Grupe, 27, arrived on Tuesday from the New York Jets’ practice squad, signed to take over from Harrison Mevis, who was released after a blocked kick and a miss in the overtime loss to Buffalo. Grupe’s first attempt as a Ram was good from 44 yards and put Los Angeles up 3-0 in the opening quarter.
The injury came on the very next play. Devin Duvernay slipped several tacklers on the kickoff and ran 40 yards before Grupe, the last defender left, forced him out of bounds near midfield. Grupe was examined in the sideline medical tent and taken to the locker room. The club first listed him as doubtful with a knee injury and later downgraded him to out. He was seen wearing a large brace on the knee after the game.
Rams Injury Update: Blake Grupe (knee) downgraded to out.
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 18, 2026
Grupe is the fifth player to kick for the Rams in their last 57 games. Before this week he had made all 11 of his field-goal tries in five games with Indianapolis last season, after starting his career in New Orleans in 2023.
How the Rams got by without him
Without a kicker, Los Angeles went for two after its first touchdown in the second quarter, and Matthew Stafford was sacked and lost the ball on the try. Punter Ethan Evans warmed up kicks on the sideline for the rest of the afternoon and finally got his chance with 47 seconds left: after Colby Parkinson’s touchdown, Evans made the extra point for a 16-15 lead, with backup quarterback Stetson Bennett holding in place of Evans, who normally holds. Arizona then drove for Chad Ryland’s sixth field goal, a 43-yarder as time ran out.
THE PAT IS GOOD BY ETHAN EVANS!!!!
Rams take the lead 16-15 with 47 seconds to go. pic.twitter.com/ga8cMgo8qF
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 18, 2026
Adams hurt on a route
Adams went down without contact on the second-to-last offensive play of the game, coming up limp after he cut on a route and reaching for his left knee as he made his way to the sideline. He had three catches for 39 yards before leaving. The Rams have not given a diagnosis or a timeline, and any outside guesses about the knee are just that until the club says more.
Adams, in his second season in Los Angeles, sat out the final three weeks of the 2025 regular season with a hamstring problem and was back in time for the postseason. With Adams gone, Puka Nacua carried the go-ahead drive, catching two passes for 59 yards on it.
What comes next
The Rams play the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, October 25, at 4:25 p.m. EDT. If Grupe cannot kick, McVay will be looking for another kicker for the second week in a row. Wednesday’s practice report will give the first official word on both players; follow it on the WhyNFL injury page.
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