Joshua Karty has a golden opportunity to become LA Rams golden goose

If the Rams had the benefit of a solid field goal kicker in 2023, how much of a difference would that have made for the team's final record? Curiously, on a game by game basis, perhaps not much difference. In games where the team lost in overtime, or by a margin of victory of three points or less, the Rams kickers were actually perfect in those games, both at making field goals and with making extra points. The Rams had three such games that met that criteria in 2023: Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens, and the Wild Card Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs.

In all three games, whether the kicker was Lucas Havrisik or Brett Maher, the Rams got a perfect performance out of the kicker.

Between the two kickers, the Rams scored 128 points out of a possible 166 points last season. While neither kicker was anywhere close to setting records, the truth remains that a solid season from rookie kicker Joshua Karty could be enough to set a new NFL All-Time Rookie Kicker Scoring record in 2024. So why not talk about what that might take?

Per Statmuse.com, the most points scored by an NFL rookie kicker was set in 2023 by Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey who put up 157 points in his rookie season.

To break that all down, Aubrey made 36 of 38 field goals and kicked 49 of 52 extra points. That works out to 157 points. The question is, can LA Rams rookie kicker even have enough opportunities to flirt with that record? In a word, yes. Let's put up a data table to illustrate the Rams total field goals and extra points made per season since hiring HC Sean McVay:

Now, let's revisit the 36 field goals and 49 extra points made by Brandon Aubrey as a rookie. Those totaled 157 points for the Cowboys kicker. Could the Rams put rookie kicker Joshua Karty in a similar position to tie or set the rookie kicker scoring record?

The team certain did so in 2017, 2018, and 2023. That works out to three of the past seven seasons. Of course, the efficiency of Karty could play a part in the number of opportunities that he gets in 2024. If he starts the season by showcasing both accuracy and power, the team could opt to attempt more field goals than they might otherwise try to make.

If Karty delivers as one of the best NFL kicker prospects in the past 10 years, he will certainly flirt with setting the NFL rookie kicking record. Even if he simply repeats the Rams kicking performance of 2023, his 128 points scored will tie him as the 15th best scoring rookie kicker in NFL history. That's certainly something worth keeping on your radar.

Thanks for reading.