Rookie Josh Karty has been one of the least accurate kickers in the NFL
Josh Karty is ice cold. The Rams rookie kicker can’t buy a bucket lately and his 26-yard miss in Sunday’s win over the New England Patriots — a game closer than it should have been — was his fourth miss in the last seven games.
The Rams have to consider other options this week, even if it just means having someone on speed dial, less they risk falling out of the NFC playoff race because of a missed field goal or extra point. The rookie Karty has missed kicks from 43, 35, 57, and 26 in the last seven games, as well as two extra points.
Josh Karty’s last 7 games:
11-of-15 FG (73%)
11-of-13 PATMisses from:
-43
-35
-57
-2673% would rank 30th in the NFL
— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) November 17, 2024
If Karty was 73% for the entire season, that would make him a bottom-3 kicker in the entire league.
There aren’t going to be many attractive free agent options on the kicker market, but consider the case of Anders Carlson. After kicking with the Packers in 2023 and spending two games with the 49ers in 2024, Carlson debuted with the Jets (former Rams K Greg Zuerlein had mighty struggles this year) and made a 58-yard field goal on Sunday.
Anders Carlson makes his @nyjets debut as a FG kicker and nails a 58-yarder to take the 17-16 lead. pic.twitter.com/hRQyuWFFjh
— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) November 17, 2024
Carlson wasn’t an attractive option, he was available, he might now rebound and have a good career just as Matt Gay did after the Rams picked up Gay in 2020 following a failed kicker competition.
It’s not that Karty is a failure yet. But the Rams have to be ready just in case these kicking woes do not un-woe themselves soon enough.