The Colts have a real kicker battle on their hands, and it’s a unique one.
That is not something you always say about kicking competitions. Most of the time, it’s one veteran holding off a camp leg, but this one feels different because both Spencer Shrader and Blake Grupe give the Colts real reasons to believe they can be the answer.
Shrader stabilized the position early last season before suffering a major knee injury. Grupe then came in late and delivered one of the most impressive short stretches
a Colts kicker has had in years.
So the question is: do the Colts trust the cleaner, more consistent profile, or do they trust the bigger leg?
The case for Spencer Shrader
Shrader looked like he had taken control of the job before his injury.
In 2025, he went 13-for-14 on field goals and 14-for-14 on extra points. His only miss came from beyond 50 yards, which means he was perfect on every kick inside 50. For teams, the first thing they want from a kicker is reliability on the kicks they are supposed to make.
Shrader also had a major early-season moment against Denver. He initially missed a 60-yard field goal short and right, but a personal foul gave him another chance from 45 yards. He responded by drilling the kick right down the middle. I don’t believe he has the leg for 60 yards so I think he was doomed before the kick even happened, but luckily he nailed a pressure packed kick.
He was also named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month in September, which speaks to just how quickly he stabilized the position after replacing Matt Gay. At that point, it felt like the Colts had found their guy.
The only major question is health; Shrader tore his ACL and MCL in Week 5 and is currently around six and a half months removed from surgery. By the time training camp arrives, he’ll be close to nine months post-surgery, which puts him near the point where many players are approaching full recovery. Still, kicking is about rhythm, plant-leg trust, explosiveness, and repeatability. Even if he is medically cleared, the Colts will need to see whether the operation and strike consistency looks the same.
If Shrader is healthy and kicking like he did before the injury, his case is obvious. He was accurate, steady, and gave the Colts exactly what they needed after the Matt Gay era went sideways.
The case for Blake Grupe
Grupe’s argument is different: it is built on upside, leg strength, and the way he ended last season.
His late-season run with the Colts was almost ridiculous. He went 11-for-11 on field goals and 10-for-10 on extra points, but the real headline was the distance. Grupe went 4-for-4 from 50-plus and hit a franchise-record 60-yarder against Seattle outdoors on the road.
I want to emphasize how ridiculously hard it is to kick in Seattle which is outdoors, and it was at night with the temperature in the low 50s. When the air is colder, the ball does not travel as far as the air is heavier. He nailed that kick with about 5 yards to spare. His leg strength is amongst the best in the NFL.
Those kicks change how a coach manages games. A kicker with that type of range gives the offense more margin for error. Drives do not need to reach the 25-yard line to produce points. A few extra yards can suddenly turn a punt into a field goal attempt.
That is the appeal with Grupe. He has the bigger leg and the more dramatic late-game profile.
The concern is volatility as he’s had ugly stretches before. He was cut after struggles with the Saints, and short misses damaged his reputation. Between 2023 and 2025, Grupe had 5 misses (out of 63 kicks) from under 40 yards, which is simply too many misses.
That is the other side of the big-leg argument. When he’s rolling, he looks like a weapon. When he’s not, the floor is bad.
That makes his Colts run fascinating. He went from being viewed as an inconsistent kicker to immediately becoming a clutch hero in Indianapolis. The question is whether that stretch was a sign of real growth or just a hot run at the right time.
What decides the battle?
This competition really comes down to five areas: leg strength, accuracy, consistency, clutch kicking, and experience.
In terms of leg strength, Grupe has the edge. The 60-yarder in Seattle and the 4-for-4 mark from 50-plus speak for themselves. Shrader has enough leg to be an NFL kicker, but Grupe gives the Colts more range and more confidence from deep.
Accuracy probably leans Shrader. Going 13-for-14 overall and perfect inside 50 is exactly what you want from a kicker. He gives off more of the “make the routine kick and move on” profile, which coaches love.
Consistency also favors Shrader, assuming he is healthy. Grupe’s Colts sample was perfect, but his career has had more volatility. Shrader’s profile feels cleaner mechanically and more stable.
Clutch is interesting. Shrader had the Denver rebound moment, which was impressive. Grupe had the long-range kicks and the franchise-record 60-yarder on the road. If you are looking strictly at drama and high-difficulty moments, Grupe probably gets the edge.
Experience is also close, but it likely favors Grupe slightly. He has gone through real NFL adversity, been cut, dealt with misses, and then came back strong. That matters. Shrader feels more like the ascending option, but Grupe has lived through more.
They both take 2 categories and Grupe has the slight edge in clutch. Shrader is the safer choice, Grupe is the upside choice.
My prediction
If both players are fully healthy and performing well, I think Shrader should enter camp as the slight favorite.
The reason is simple: consistency usually wins kicking battles. Coaches hate uncertainty at that position. Shrader stabilized the job before his injury, was perfect inside 50, and gave the Colts a clean accuracy profile. If he looks like the same kicker, it will be hard to move away from him.
Grupe absolutely has a real chance to win the job. His leg strength is better, his late-season stretch was perfect, and the Colts saw firsthand how valuable that range can be. If Shrader shows any lingering effects from the knee injury or if Grupe continues drilling kicks from deep, this could change quickly.
The Colts are not choosing between a clear starter and a camp body. They are choosing between two legitimate options with very different profiles. Shrader gives them stability and Grupe gives them range.
The Colts will have to decide which one they trust more.
