Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason praised Spencer Shrader's resilience after he beat Blake Grupe in an extremely close kicking competition.
Mason came away from the team's kicking competition with an emphatic prediction for Spencer Shrader.
“I think he will be better than he’s ever been,” Mason said during his Week 1 media availability.
After he beat out Blake Grupe for the job, Mason commended Shrader's response to a difficult opening stretch of training camp and his continued recovery from the ACL injury that ended his 2025 season.
Mason said Shrader showed “really good mental, physical preparation” to overcome two rocky weeks to begin camp before making progress over the ensuing three weeks. He also called Shrader someone
with “special leg talent” and harped on the mental strength required to return from a significant injury.
The decision itself was far from easy.
“We had two kickers who were deserving to be starting kickers,” Mason said.
Mason recruited both Shrader and Grupe while at Notre Dame and said telling Grupe he had lost the competition was “the hardest conversation of my career.”
Shrader ultimately gained ground during the preseason, going 5-for-5 on field goals, including two makes from at least 60 yards. Grupe finished 2-for-4.
All in all, Mason believes the adversity Shrader navigated could lead to his best football yet.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts coach makes Spencer Shrader prediction ahead of 2026 season
