A year ago, the Rams’ special teams were a problem every week. Drives were getting derailed, games were swinging the wrong way, and the unit never looked settled. This summer, Los Angeles brought in UFL kicker Harrison Mevis with the hope of putting that mess behind it.
So far, Mevis has done his part.
In the Rams’ 2026 preseason opener, he went 2-for-2 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points, keeping alive the image of the near-perfect kicker who missed just one field goal on his way to a strong season a year ago. For a fan base that spent too much time worrying about special teams last season, that kind of start matters.
Mevis is not the flashiest presence on the field, and he doesn’t fit the usual kicker stereotype. He brings a straight-ahead, no-frills style to the job, and the results speak for themselves. With those massive legs, it’s easy to see why he’s earned the nickname “The Thiccer Kicker.”
Of course, the Rams need more than one reliable leg if they want to make a real push this season. The offense led the league in scoring a year ago, the secondary should be much improved, and the pass rush has Myles Garrett. But special teams remains the easiest place to squeeze out meaningful gains.
Mevis is part of that, even if he arrived later last season and still came up one field goal short of perfection. A full season of him knocking through clutch kicks would give this team a real lift.
There were other encouraging signs in the preseason opener, too. Ethan Evans had a rough year punting last season, averaging 46.3 yards gross and 38.5 net.
In his first preseason game, he flipped the script with four punts that averaged 60.75 yards gross and 48.5 net. It’s only one game, but it was a sharp step forward.
The return game showed some life as well. The Rams averaged only 9.3 yards per punt return last season, but Xavier Smith broke loose for a 40-yard return in the opener. Backup kickoff returner Brennan Pressley added a pair of solid runs of his own.
The coverage units still weren’t fully there, but they were good enough to outplay the Kansas City Chiefs in that area. That alone counts as progress.
One preseason game doesn’t rewrite a season. But if Mevis and the rest of the group keep trending this way, special teams could go from liability to asset. And for the Rams, that would be a welcome change.
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