Spencer Shrader wins Colts’ kicking competition

Spencer Shrader, who was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month last September before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in October, will return as the Colts’ kicker this season.

Shrader emerged from a tightly contested preseason competition with Blake Grupe, who joined the Colts last December and connected on all 11 of his field goals over the final five games of the 2025 season. The Colts on Sunday waived Grupe, who very well could quickly wind up on another team’s roster as their kicker this week.

The 27-year-old Shrader connected on a 60-yard field goal in the Colts’ preseason finale against the Detroit Lions on Saturday. He made all five of his field goal attempts over the Colts’ three preseason games, with those kicks going through the upright from 46, 48, 57, 60 and 61 yards.

Shrader sustained season-ending ACL and MCL injuries when Las Vegas Raiders safety Tristin McCollum ran into his plant leg on a PAT during Week 5 of the 2025 season. He began training camp with some issues pushing kicks to the left, but he resolved those and resumed kicking at a consistently high level right around the Colts’ preseason opener against the New England Patriots.

Prior to his injury last season, Shrader connected on 13 of 14 field goal tries – including a walk-off game-winner against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 – and made all 14 of his PATs.

Shrader made his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 2024 season with the Colts and bounced between the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs later that season. In his career, Shrader has connected on 18 of 19 field goals and all 23 of his extra points.