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Rams waive K Sam Ficken, sign K Cairo Santos

By The Sports Xchange
Former Kansas City Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos (5) kicks a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter on January 9, 2016 at NRG Stadium in Houston. File photo by Erik Williams/UPI
Former Kansas City Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos (5) kicks a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter on January 9, 2016 at NRG Stadium in Houston. File photo by Erik Williams/UPI | License Photo

The Los Angeles Rams are changing kickers.

The Rams waived kicker Sam Ficken and signed Cairo Santos, the team announced Tuesday.

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Santos is not expected to hold the job long either, as he will be replaced when Greg Zuerlein is ready to return from a groin injury. He is expected to be back soon.

Zuerlein made four of five field-goal attempts and all three extra points in the opener before suffering the groin injury while warming up for the second game.

Punter Johnny Hekker handled kickoffs and kicked a 20-yard field goal and an extra point for the Rams against the Arizona Cardinals in that second game.

Ficken has done the kicking for the Rams the past two games, but he made only one field goal -- a 34-yarder -- in three attempts. He did make all 10 of his extra-point attempts.

Ficken had never kicked in a regular-season game before replacing Zuerlein last season after Zuerlein went on injured reserve. Ficken made two of three field-goal attempts and four of five extra points in two regular-season games last season. He then made both field-goal attempts and an extra point in the postseason.

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Santos has made 90-of-107 career field-goal attempts and 127-of-132 extra points in 51 games with the Kansas City Chiefs and two games with the Chicago Bears.

The Rams also worked out Kai Forbath on Tuesday but decided to sign Santos.

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