Austin MacGinnis could earn his first career NFL start on Monday Night Football
Sean Haffey | Getty Images
The Commonwealth’s favorite kicker could earn his first career NFL start on one of the biggest stages in all of football.
Following the Rams’ 23-16 victory over Seattle, Los Angeles placed kicker Kai Forbath on injured reserve after the former Chicago Bear suffered an ankle injury. The next man up is Austin MacGinnis.
The leading scorer in the history of Kentucky football, MacGinnis has played in the AAF and the XFL but has never let it rip in an NFL game. He was a participant in this year’s training camp, but COVID-19 canceled all preseason games, preventing him from displaying his talents in a live game setting.
Sean McVay gave the kicking job to another rookie at the conclusion of training camp. Once Sam Sloman was cut for performance issues back in October, McVay signed MacGinnis onto the practice squad. He’s patiently waited his turn and now his time might finally be here. There’s one final hurdle.
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After moving Forbath to the IR, the Rams signed second-year kicker Matt Gay to the practice squad. A fifth round draft pick in 2019, last year Gay was 27-for-35 on field goal attempts, while also making 43-of-48 PATs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coincidentally the Rams’ next opponent.
The good news for MacGinnis: May cannot even get through COVID-19 protocols to practice until Saturday. The bad news: the Rams play Gay’s former team, Tampa Bay, on Monday Night Football, giving the new guy one extra day to show off his stuff.
It is not yet certain, but it appears MacGinnis will make his debut for the Rams wearing No. 8 against Mike Edwards’ Bucs in primetime on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Tied for first in the NFC West with three other teams at 6-3, I can already envision MacGinnis sailing one through the uprights as time expires to propel the Rams on a run to the playoffs and send Tom Brady home with a loss. It wouldn’t be the first time MacGinnis has taken down one of the greatest gridiron talents of our time.
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