The “Karty Party” has been a disaster for the Los Angeles Rams this season. There’s no easy fix to the team’s kicking woes, yet all I know is that signing Justin Tucker wouldn’t be the answer, or worth the hassle.
Tucker is set to return from his 10-week suspension to begin the 2025 season, meaning anyone has a chance at him.
John Breech of CBS Sports stated the Rams “make the most sense” out of any team interested in signing the former All-Pro kicker:
“There is no team that needs Justin Tucker more than the Los Angeles Rams. Joshua Karty started the season as the Rams’ kicker, but he lost his job after hitting just 66.7% of his field goal attempts (10 of 15) during the eight games that he played in. That number is the second-lowest percentage in the NFL through 10 weeks. Surprisingly, Karty struggled mostly on his shorter kicks, hitting just 63.6% of his field goal attempts from inside 45 yards.
The second-year kicker missed a 39-yard kick in a 34-10 win over the Saints back in Week 9 and that ended up being the last straw for Rams coach Sean McVay. After that missed field goal, the Rams were so desperate for a new kicker that they went out and signed Harrison Mevis, AKA the ‘Thiccer Kicker.‘ Mevis entered the NFL in 2024 and had never played in a regular-season game until Sunday when he was the Rams’ kicker during their 42-26 win over the San Francisco 49ers. During the win, Mevis didn’t get to attempt a field goal, but he did go 6 of 6 on extra points.”
No team needs a kicker more than the Rams; that much is true. However, the front office should never stoop so low as to sign Tucker off the street.
That move would not only reek of desperation but also strip the team of any sense of morality. Although the morality train for this franchise left a long time ago, given how the ownership screwed over the City of St. Louis.
In a December 2024 column, I called on the Rams to at least give Tucker a look if the Ravens released him. Joshua Karty was struggling last season, though not to the extent he has in ‘25. Now, I wrote that piece about a month before The Baltimore Banner detailed testimonies from several massage therapists in the Baltimore area accusing the kicker of inappropriate sexual behavior.
Tucker has denied the allegations, and nothing else has come from the incident besides the NFL’s independent investigation. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and each of the accounts from the victims was eerily similar and equally disturbing.
Forget the fact that Tucker is coming off his worst season as a pro. This is a matter of morality, not football. Remember how we all gave the Browns hell after they traded for Deshaun Watson? The Rams would be no better if they offered Tucker a contract.
Yes, Tucker would be an instant upgrade over Karty, but he simply has too much baggage. He needs to do the Rams a favor and stay far away from L.A.
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