Colts Kicking Competition Officially Has a Favorite to Win Starting Role

WESTFIELD, IN -- The Indianapolis Colts entered training camp with the most talented kicking competition amongst all NFL teams.

Veterans Blake Grupe and Spencer Shrader have both proven to be viable starting options in the NFL, but one has begun to separate themself as the favorite to earn the opening.

Follow along as I break down each kicker's performance through six training camp practices thus far.

Spencer Shrader

Shrader kicked off his first season as a full-time starter last year in promising fashion, going 13-for-14 on field goal attempts (92.9%) and nailing all 14 of his extra point attempts.

This start quickly took notice after Shrader nailed a 45-yard game-winning kick against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 of last season, one that came after an infamous leveraging call that wiped away Shrader's initial 60-yard miss and ultimately allowed him to right his wrongs in the moment.

But his strong start abruptly ended after a late hit on an extra point attempt in Week 5 resulted in a torn ACL/MCL.

And so far throughout six training camp practices, Shrader has looked like a kicker returning from a serious lower-leg injury, and he's admitted that it's been a challenge getting back into the swing of things.

“I feel like I'm still building. I think I was blessed because we have such a good training staff at the Colts that knee wise, I was feeling back to normal pretty fast. I started kicking early, but you're just always working on like tempo and timing and getting back into your routine and rhythm of things. And so, I've tried to frame it as like I'm not trying to get back to where I once was, I'm trying to be the best version of myself right now," Spencer explained after Monday's first padded practice.

"I feel like that's still getting there every single day, trying to set a new standard, get more and more comfortable and reach a new level. I'm just working on kind of simplifying that mindset day in and day out.”

During training camp, Shrader has gone 9-for-12 on his field goal attempts with misses from 45, 50, and 57 yards.

It was inevitable that Shrader would need to kick some rust off after returning from a serious injury to his kicking leg, and special teams coordinator Brian Mason gave a detailed breakdown of why he's struggled to find his footing (pun intended) thus far.

"He does have one little issue that we're kind of working through that he pulled two kicks, similar to how he pulled a kick last Friday – to be expected. Like he didn't kick for eight months, so we're expecting there's going to be a little bit of stuff that he's got to feel through here in training camp, and now he's just got to use his talent, use the really good mental makeup that I think he has to kind of work through some of those things, being that he didn't kick for eight months and kind of progress through camp to be the best version and kicker of himself that he can be. Which I expect to hopefully see some more progress into that on Thursday," Mason explained after practice on Tuesday.

But even though the Colts are understanding of Shrader's uphill battle, they are valuing results most.

“Well, as we evaluate it now, it would make sense that he's going to have some rust or some things that he needs to feel through. But by the end of training camp, we're going to be evaluating who's kicking at the highest level and going to give us the best chance in the regular season," Mason said.

Blake Grupe

Grupe immediately flipped a switch upon landing in Indianapolis late last season after being cut from the New Orleans Saints due to poor performance.

He was perfect from the field during his five games of relief for the Colts, going 11-for-11 on field goal attempts and 10-for-10 on extra point attempts, and has only continued this newfound trajectory throughout training camp.

Grupe is now 12-for-12 on field goal attempts throughout training camp, with a notable 4-for-4 showing on attempts beyond 50 yards.

“I'm comfortable in competition," Grupe explained. "It is what it is at our position. You're in the National Football League, so what do you expect, you know? But you definitely have to take advantage of your reps. You look at a whole training camp of five weeks, and you think you have all this time, but at the end of the day, it's definitely limited. We don't kick every day, so you have to take advantage of your opportunities and not get cheated. You really got to put yourself out there, continue to prepare and just get ready to play at the end of the day.”

Grupe has not missed a field goal attempt since donning the Colts' horseshoe, and as a result, is the favorite to earn the team's starting kicker opening after six training camp practices.

Outlook Moving Forward

Colts STC — Indianapolis Colts kicker Blake Grupe (10), Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez (8) and Indianapolis Colts long snapper Luke Rhodes (46) gather Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, before taking the field for a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Training camp won't be the only opportunity teams have to determine their position battles, as the three-game preseason slate will be the ultimate last step in seeing whether or not their current outlooks translate to in-game results.

Special teams coordinator Brian Mason addressed this after practice on Tuesday and provided his team's plan on how much opportunity Blake Grupe and Spencer Shrader will have, regardless of who is the clear-cut favorite entering preseason play.

“Yeah, so in the past it's been halves. So one guy will get the first half, one guy will get the second half. You cannot make that perfect. So like in the first game, one guy's going to get the first half, one guy's going to get the second half. As we move to the next game, if one guy got a drastically different number of kicks, we will then try to make it – even out the kicks as we move forward as best we possibly can, and then we'll evaluate where they're at in the competition on whether or not that's going to be even or not from there," Mason explained.

Kicking from distance was always Spencer Shrader's biggest concern, while it's been one of Blake Grupe's strengths.

The fact that a new change of scenery has brought the best in Grupe out is enough to deem him a serious candidate for the team's opening at starting kicker. His newfound consistency, coupled with his ability to nail kicks from deep range, makes him the favorite moving forward.

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