For the first time since 2011, the Rams’ primary kicker will not be named Greg Zuerlein. He agreed to a three-year deal with the Cowboys on Friday, effectively ending his tenure with the Rams after eight seasons.
He made the Pro Bowl once and was an All-Pro in 2017, making 82% of his field goal tries during his career with the Rams. But, the idea of rejoining John Fassel in Dallas was too good for Zuerlein to pass up, and Los Angeles clearly didn’t do enough to re-sign him.
That leaves the Rams’ options at kicker very limited. There are only a handful of viable replacements available in free agency, and none of them are better than Zuerlein. At the top of the list is former Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who New England released this offseason.
Stephen Gostkowski
There’s no doubt Gostkowski is the Rams’ best option left as a replacement for Zuerlein. He spent the last 14 seasons with the Patriots, making 87.4% of his FG attempts and 98.3% of his extra point tries. Most importantly, he’s played 28 postseason games, making 39 of 44 field goal attempts in those contests.
If the Rams haven’t already, they should give Gostkowski a call to gauge his interest in moving out west.
Ryan Succop
Succop was released by the Titans this offseason after a brief stint in Tennessee last year. It was a shaky six games, though, as he made just 1 of 6 FG attempts in the regular season and his only try in the playoffs. Succop shouldn’t be high on the Rams’ list of replacements, but he has made 82.2% of his field goals in 11 seasons.
Austin MacGinnis
MacGinnis was the XFL’s best kicker, making 10 of 10 field goal attempts. He also led the league in touchbacks with four, showing a strong enough leg to make it in the NFL. Unlike other positions, the talent gap between the XFL and the NFL doesn’t make much of a difference when you’re a kicker, so if MacGinnis can make kicks for the Dallas Renegades, he might be able to for the Rams, too.
Brett Maher
Maher was a disaster for the Cowboys last season, but that didn’t stop the Rams from giving him a look. In December, they tried him out while Zuerlein dealt with a quad injury, viewing him as a contingency plan in case Zuerlein couldn’t play. Maher was only 20-for-30 last season and 29-for-36 the year prior.