There were a lot of reasons the Los Angeles Rams came up short of the playoffs in 2020, and while it’s unfair to blame one single factor, Greg Zuerlein’s struggles played a role in the team’s 9-7 records. He had his worst season since 2015, and arguably the second-worst campaign of his career.
He made only 72.7% of his field goal attempts, making just five of his 11 attempts from the all-important range of 40-49 yards. His miss from 44 yards in Week 5 against the Seahawks in the final seconds cost the Rams a win, also missing a 52-yarder against the 49ers in Week 16, which wound up as a three-point loss.
Zuerlein has been with the Rams for nine years, but will they keep him around for the future after a down season?
- 2019 stats: 24-for-33 FGs (72.7%), 42-for-42 PATs
Analysis
Zuerlein was one of the best kickers in football in 2017 and 2018. He was even named a first-team All-Pro in 2017, making 38 of 40 field goal attempts and 44 of 46 PATs. His field goal percentage dropped to 87.1% in 2018, but he was still clutch for the Rams and helped land them in the Super Bowl with game-tying and game-winning kicks in the NFC championship game.
For whatever reason, Zuerlein’s accuracy fell off in 2019. He was returning from a foot injury that he suffered in the playoffs and he had a minor quad injury late in the 2019 season, but those are unlikely to have affected his performance.
Positional need: Medium
Kicker isn’t always the most prioritized position on a team, but as we saw with the Rams last season, the performance of Zuerlein played a role in their absence from the playoffs. The problem is, finding a reliable kicker is easier said than done.
The Rams don’t have another option on the roster and there aren’t any good one available in free agency. So if they do move on from Zuerlein and let him leave this March, they’ll likely need to find a rookie in the draft or as a priority free agent.
Prediction: Signs three-year, $12 million deal with Rams
The Rams know Zuerlein well, and they’re aware of how good he can be. He showed excellent accuracy in 2017 and 2018 and there’s reason to believe he can bounce back with another great year in 2020.
They should attempt to re-sign him for at least one more season, hoping he can regain his past form. Yes, he’s 33 years old, but kickers can play well into their late 30s. A three-year deal with an easy out after two seasons would work for the Rams, loading it with incentives and not a lot guaranteed.