Rams are racing against time to resolve their kicking chaos before Week 10

The 2025 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, but if you wanted activity to come to a screeching halt at Los Angeles Rams headquarters, you will certainly be disappointed. The team is as busy and active as ever, as the entire organization seems heavily invested in resolving the kicking crises that have already resulted in two losses this season.

Now, a week out of its BYE, the 6-2 Los Angeles Rams are holding a fire drill in an effort to fix the problem in time for the Week 10 showdown with the San Francisco 49ers. Will the team correct the problem in time? Well, it's going to be close, one way or another.

Nothing like a little pre-game drama to set the stage for football field drama, eh?

Regardless of how quickly it all works out, general manager Les Snead certainly responded quickly. While the kicking unit had struggled all season, the breaking point arrived in Week 9. The team reached out and signed long snapper Jake McQuaide, then signed UFL star kicker Harrison Mevis. It seems as though McQuaide has won a Week 10 start.

Kicker competition this week will determine who earns the right to face the 49ers.

Rams are racing to resolve kicker issue before a vital Week 10 rematch

Even as Los Angeles sits on a six-win record, it's in a precarious position. It is only 1-2 against NFC opponents, and 0-1 against NFC West Division opponents, thanks to the 49ers. While the Rams can recover if they lose in Week 10, that creates a nearly impossible course to expect anything more than a wild-card berth in the postseason.

To win, the team has to bring a reliable kicking unit. And to do that, head coach Sean McVay had outlined an intricate and strategic plan to address the problem this week. Now that LA has implemented that corrective course of action, fans can only wait and hope that the issues are resolved.

Week 10 is as close to a must-win as a game can be at this time of year. Losing both games to the 49ers all but eliminates any hopes of winning the NFC West. But a win will elevate the team to a 7-2 record, put them on even footing with the 5-4 Niners in terms of tie-breakers, and give LA significant momentum for the final eight games.

The race is on. Ironically, the outcome of the game may fall on the shoulders of the kicker, despite not even knowing who that might be.

As always, thanks for reading.