Indianapolis Colts Roster Decisions: Kicker

Incumbent Chase McLaughlin and undrafted rookie Rodrigo Blankenship faced off in an Indianapolis Colts kicking competition for the past month. Head coach Frank Reich said they performed well and that both are NFL kickers. But the Colts are only keeping one.

INDIANAPOLIS — In the beginning, undrafted rookie Rodrigo Blankenship won the first two kicking competitions against Chase McLaughlin in Indianapolis Colts practices.

Then McLaughlin bounced back and bettered Blankenship twice.

And so it went, back-and-forth. When the Colts scrimmaged twice at Lucas Oil Stadium, McLaughlin didn’t miss a kick in the first visit while Blankenship missed three. When they returned last Saturday, Blankenship missed only one kick to finish better than McLaughlin, who missed three attempts.

So what will the Colts decide when announcing their mandated roster cuts to 53 players by 4 p.m., Saturday (EST)?

While it’s fair to say that either kicker could get the nod, the best-educated guess is that the Colts will go with McLaughlin. He kicked the last four games for the Colts last season, in addition to stints with two other teams as a replacement for injured kickers.

Why not Blankenship? Because to win the competition against a guy with one year of experience, the rookie had to be better. Clearly better. No-question-about-it better. And he wasn’t. He and McLaughlin were close, which is why nobody should blame the Colts for going with McLaughlin.

Chase McLaughlin kicked for three NFL teams as a rookie in 2019.

Robert Scheer/USA TODAY Sports

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Colts head coach Frank Reich said both proved themselves worthy, that they’re both NFL kickers. And it shouldn’t be surprising if the loser of this competition ends up somewhere else and continues with his career.

One interesting tidbit when asking questions about their contrasting styles: McLaughlin’s approach is that he’ll line it up and kick from anywhere while Blankenship is much more regimented in his preparation and attention to detail. Nothing wrong with either style, it just seems like one guy is ready for anything while the other has a very particular system for how he goes about his job.

Both entered college as walk-ons who had to prove themselves, and they did, earning scholarships. Neither ever missed an extra point in college, which is impressive. That means Blankenship faced the challenge of besting another kicker who is also resilient and confident in proving himself in a competition.

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It’s an especially important job, not that anyone needs to be reminded, after the Colts missed 15 kicks including a league-worst six extra points last season.

The Colts just need consistency from the position. Nobody expects the next guy to be a Hall of Famer like the guy who had the job before, Adam Vinatieri.

As Vinatieri’s replacement, McLaughlin was good enough to earn a one-year tender to return. As a worthy competitor, Blankenship received a $20,000 signing bonus to join the Colts and try out for the job.

Expect the Colts to stick with McLaughlin. But the NFL hasn’t seen the last of Blankenship. He’ll get another chance, for sure, and he’ll stick somewhere.

(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)