Joshua Karty Bio
Joshua Karty, born on March 7, 2002, is an American professional football kicker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal from 2020 through 2023, earning recognition as one of the nation’s most accurate kickers during his final two seasons. Selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft, Karty quickly established himself as a reliable scoring option before later joining the Cardinals.
Listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 208 pounds, Karty brings a powerful left leg and a calm temperament to one of football’s most pressure-filled roles. His college honors and his rapid rise to an NFL starting job reflect a career built on consistency, preparation, and competitive poise.
Early Life and Background
Joshua Karty was born on March 7, 2002, in Burlington, North Carolina, and grew up in nearby Elon. He is the son of Joel Karty and Valerie Karty, both of whom played a meaningful role in shaping his athletic path. His father, Joel, was a rower at Stanford while completing a doctorate in physical and organic chemistry, which helped cement the family’s connection to the university that Joshua would later attend. In a memorable family story, Valerie and Joel were at Stanford Stadium when she first told him she was expecting Joshua.
Karty attended Western Alamance High School in Elon, North Carolina, where he served as both a placekicker and a punter for the football team. Recruiting analysts regarded him as a consensus three-star prospect, and he was ranked the number one kicking prospect in his class by 247Sports, Kohl’s Kicking, and ESPN. He also earned an invitation to the 2020 Under Armour All-America Game, which showcased the top high school seniors in the country.
On January 20, 2019, Karty committed to Stanford on a full scholarship, choosing the Cardinal over other scholarship offers from programs including Georgia, North Carolina, and Appalachian State.
Path to American Football
Karty’s development as a kicker began in earnest during his high school years at Western Alamance, where his leg strength and accuracy attracted national attention. His ranking as the top kicking prospect across multiple major recruiting services confirmed that he was on track for a Division I future. The 2020 Under Armour All-America Game invitation provided an early test against the country’s best young specialists.
Stanford offered Karty a full scholarship, and his commitment in January 2019 set the stage for his collegiate career. With his father’s background as a Stanford rower, the choice carried both academic and athletic appeal. That opportunity allowed Karty to refine his technique against Pac-12 competition and prepared him for the jump to professional football.
Joshua Karty Career
Early Career (2021)
Karty’s first season at Stanford came in 2021, when he handled place-kicking duties for the Cardinal. He went a perfect 27 for 27 on extra point attempts, while converting 10 of 15 field goal tries. The experience gave him meaningful game reps and helped lay the groundwork for a strong follow-up campaign.
That sophomore development year allowed Karty to adjust to the speed and pressure of college football. His reliability on PATs gave Stanford a dependable scoring foundation, while his field goal work offered room to grow heading into a breakout junior season.
Stanford Cardinal Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Karty’s 2022 season marked his emergence as one of the premier kickers in the Pac-12. He delivered his best single-game performance against Arizona State, making five field goals to lead Stanford to a 15–14 victory. He followed that with a perfect three-for-three outing in a win over Notre Dame, earning Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He finished the year 24 for 25 on extra points and a flawless 18 for 18 on field goals, with a long of 61 yards, and was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award given to the nation’s top kicker.
Heading into 2023, Karty was named a preseason first-team All-American. His signature moment came in week seven, when he drilled a 47-yard field goal to tie Colorado and then connected again in overtime, completing Stanford’s stunning comeback from a 29–0 deficit in a 46–43 double-overtime win. He finished 2023 by going 21 for 21 on extra points and 23 for 27 on field goal attempts. After the season, Karty declared for the 2024 NFL draft, leaving Stanford with two first-team All-American and two first-team All-Pac-12 selections to his name.
Los Angeles Rams Era (2024–2025)
Karty was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round, 209th overall, of the 2024 NFL draft and won the starting kicker job during the preseason by going 4 for 5 on field goal attempts across three games. He made his regular-season debut with a 41-yard field goal in the Rams’ opener against the Detroit Lions. In Week 3, he booted a 37-yard kick with two seconds remaining to give the Rams a 27–24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, marking his first game-winning professional field goal.
His rookie year produced several highlights, including a 52-yarder against the Chicago Bears and a 5-for-6 performance against the Miami Dolphins. In the regular-season finale against Seattle, Karty went 4 for 4 on field goals, including a season-long 58-yarder, and earned NFL Special Teams Player of the Month for December. He also went perfect in the playoffs, connecting on field goals of 34 and 44 yards along with three extra points in a Wild Card win over the Minnesota Vikings, and adding two more field goals in a Divisional Round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Karty’s 2025 season proved more difficult. He made only 10 of 15 field goal attempts and missed three extra points, with miscues contributing to losses against Philadelphia and San Francisco. After missing kicks in a Week 9 win over New Orleans, he was benched in favor of Harrison Mevis and was waived on November 28, 2025, before being re-signed to the Rams’ practice squad on December 1, 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Karty is recognized for his smooth kicking mechanics, repeatable swing, and composure in high-leverage situations. His leg strength has produced makes from beyond 55 yards at both the college and professional levels, while his accuracy inside 50 yards has been a hallmark of his career. Coaches have praised his preparation and focus, qualities that helped him deliver in pressure moments during his rookie playoff run.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Karty’s defining moments are his five-field-goal performance against Arizona State in 2022, his game-tying and game-winning kicks against Colorado in 2023, and his walk-off 37-yarder against the San Francisco 49ers in his rookie NFL season. He earned NFL Special Teams Player of the Month honors in December 2024 and exited his rookie playoff appearance as a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals.
Joshua Karty Career Wins
Joshua Karty’s verified win totals are limited to team outcomes in which his kicking directly contributed to a victory. Across his NFL career through the 2025 season, he has been part of multiple regular-season and postseason wins with the Los Angeles Rams, highlighted by game-winning and game-tying field goals against conference rivals.
NFL Highlights
Karty’s most memorable NFL moment came in Week 3 of the 2024 season, when his 37-yard field goal as time expired sealed a 27–24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. He also played a key role in a 12–6 win at San Francisco in Week 15, accounting for all of the Rams’ scoring with four field goals. His perfect postseason performance in the Wild Card Round of 2024 helped the Rams advance past the Minnesota Vikings.
Joshua Karty Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Joshua Karty is the son of Joel Karty and Valerie Karty. His father Joel was a rower at Stanford while earning a doctorate in physical and organic chemistry, a connection that later helped draw Joshua to the university. The family maintains a strong bond to Stanford, where Valerie first shared the news of her pregnancy with Joshua during a visit to Stanford Stadium.
Personal Life
Karty grew up in Elon, North Carolina, and has continued to focus on his professional football career after completing his Stanford education. Public details about his personal relationships are limited, and he has not publicly disclosed a spouse or children.
2025 Season Performance
Joshua Karty’s 2025 season with the Los Angeles Rams began with inconsistency, as he converted only 10 of 15 field goal attempts and missed three extra points through the early portion of the year. Missed kicks against Philadelphia and San Francisco directly contributed to Rams losses, raising questions about his hold on the starting role. After further missed attempts in a Week 9 win over New Orleans, the Rams benched Karty in favor of Harrison Mevis and ultimately waived him on November 28, 2025, before re-signing him to the practice squad on December 1.
On December 23, 2025, the Arizona Cardinals signed Karty off the Rams’ practice squad, giving him an opportunity to reset his professional trajectory. He later re-signed with the Cardinals on April 7, 2026, before being waived on June 4.
Looking ahead, Karty’s priority will be re-establishing the accuracy and confidence that defined his 2024 rookie campaign. A return to the form that produced an 81.3 percent career field goal rate and a perfect postseason record could position him for a longer-term role with the Cardinals or another NFL club.