In the first six weeks of the season, Samuel Sloman missed as many extra point attempts as Greg Zuerlein missed in the previous four seasons combined. That’s a simple way to put Sloman’s struggles into perspective, and it’s without mentioning his two field goal misses from 29 and 53 yards.
It’s been a rocky start to Sloman’s NFL career and the Rams are running out of patience. This week, they signed veteran Kai Forbath off the Bears’ practice squad, bringing in some competition at the all-important position.
But Forbath isn’t replacing Sloman, who remains on the 53-man roster. He will just put some pressure on the rookie kicker moving forward.
Sean McVay was asked Thursday about the decision to sign Forbath, and it came down to needing more consistency in the kicking game.
Rams HC Sean McVay on bringing in Kai Forbath: Wanted to bring a guy that’s kicked in this league with success, and wanted more consistency. Forbath won’t be here until Sunday because of COVID-19 protocols.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) October 22, 2020
McVay indicated in his media session that Forbath could conceivably kick on Monday night against the Bears, but COVID-19 protocols make that a challenge. Considering he won’t arrive until Sunday, it’s hard to imagine the Rams making a switch that quickly without seeing Forbath kick.
Forbath’s arrival is obviously bad news for Sloman, but this doesn’t mean it’s over for the rookie, says McVay.
McVay:: "Doesn't mean that its over for Sam. We want to continue to evaluate him but getting Kai in here is something we wanted to explore as well."
— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) October 22, 2020
McVay has some familiarity with Forbath, having been in Washington during the same time period. He said that played a role in the Rams’ decision to sign Forbath, as well as his experience in the NFL.
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