Greg Zuerlein Put on IR Due to Back Injury; Rams Signing Sam Ficken

The Los Angeles Rams placed kicker Greg Zuerlein on injured reserve Wednesday because of a back injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Rams will sign Sam Ficken as Zuerlein's replacement. The Kansas City Chiefs released Ficken in September when they trimmed their roster to 53 players.

Losing Zuerlein at this point in the season could be a relatively big blow for Los Angeles. Not only is he leading the NFL in made field goals (38), but his 95 percent conversion rate is second-best in the league.

The 29-year-old is especially good from long range. He converted all 12 of his attempts between 40 and 49 yards, and he was 6-of-7 from 50 yards or more. Having a kicker as consistent as Zuerlein takes pressure off the entire offense.

Making matters worse, the Rams are turning to an unproven kicker in the middle of a tight playoff race. Los Angeles has a two-game lead over the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, but its 10-4 record has the team tied with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers for the third-most wins in the conference.

The Rams finish the 2017 regular season with games against the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers in the next two weeks, and Los Angeles may need to lean on Ficken to deliver a critical field goal or extra point.

The 25-year-old has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game. In four years with Penn State, he made 54 of his 75 field-goal attempts and was 2-of-4 from 50 yards and beyond.