WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams have fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
This marks Sean McVay’s first in-season coaching change in his nine seasons as the Rams coach.
Blackburn had overseen the Rams’ special teams since 2023. His name has already been removed from the team website, and Los Angeles is left with Ben Kotwica as assistant special teams coordinator.
The decision comes two days after the Rams lost a 38-37 overtime game to the Seattle Seahawks — a loss that relinquished their lead in the NFC West race. The loss included a handful of special teams mistakes. Harrison Mevis missed a 48-yard field goal attempt that would have given the Rams a late lead in regulation. The punt team surrendered a 58-yard touchdown to Rashid Shaheed, and the Rams committed a false start on a field goal attempt that also featured shaky protection.
RASHID SHAHEED 58-YARD PUNT RETURN TD!
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Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/BrJpea7SCE— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2025
Punter Ethan Evans, who has had a generally strong season, was not as sharp in the loss, averaging just 38.8 yards on four attempts. He also erred on Shaheed’s return, which came when the Rams led 30-14 in the fourth quarter and allowed Seattle to pull within one score after a 2-point conversion.
“I saw a flat, low kick that was not at all intended for what we wanted,” McVay said. “You give a guy like (Shaheed) an opportunity, that’s where the momentum flipped.”
This loss was instructive to the Rams, not only because it was so large to their division title chances. It was also a road game in a raucous environment with some rainy conditions. That environment could be the kind of setting they’ll have to win in during the playoffs if they end up landing a wild-card spot, which they currently hold.
The Rams have seen special teams issues prove costly in three of their four losses this season. They lost to the Philadelphia Eagles with back-to-back blocked field goals, including a final one that Jordan Davis returned for a touchdown. They lost in overtime to the San Francisco 49ers on a blocked field goal that could have given them a late lead in regulation.
Penalties on coverage units have also been an issue, including one that wiped out an explosive kick return by Jordan Whittington in the season-opener against the Houston Texans. They also allowed explosive punt returns to the 49ers and the New Orleans Saints.
Los Angeles initially tried to address the field goal unit with personnel changes, replacing Joshua Karty with Mevis at kicker and Alex Ward with Jake McQuaide at longsnapper. That also changed the kickoff approach, which went from Karty to Evans and then to Mevis. The changes worked for a stretch, as Mevis was perfect on all field goals and extra points through his first six games.
However, Thursday’s clutch miss, false start and shaky protection signified that the issues aren’t in the past.
After a Week 9 win over the Saints after the bye week, McVay was adamant that the field goal unit had to improve, or it would cost his team in its attempts to contend for the playoffs and Super Bowl. At the time, the Rams led the NFL with eight missed kicks. That’s when the move to Mevis and McQuaide took place.
Blackburn spent 10 years as a player with the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers. He also spent 2018-2021 as Carolina’s special teams coordinator.
When the field goal personnel changes took place, Blackburn was asked what gave him confidence that the Rams would find a solution.
“Practice,” Blackburn said. “Practice what we do, how we implement it, how they perform out here to breed confidence. Obviously, we have to do it in the game. Make no mistake about it, we have to execute at a high level in the game and put points on the board. At the end of the day, we have to be able to control what we can control.”
The personnel changes and practice focus patched the issues for several weeks, but ultimately, they didn’t provide a solution. The Rams found out in their biggest game to date.
Now, Los Angeles will look to new leadership to make a late-season push. Kotwica, the one special teams assistant left on staff, has served as a special teams coordinator with the New York Jets (2013), Washington (2014-2018), Atlanta Falcons (2019-2020) and Denver Broncos (2023-2024). It is not yet clear whether the Rams plan to officially name an interim.
At 11-4, the Rams have clinched a third straight playoff berth but need losses by the Seahawks and 49ers to have a chance to win the division and have a chance for the NFC’s top seed.