Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay has been sent packing, less than a month after the team signed Spencer Shrader from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Gay was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and was waived at the end of that season. He briefly signed with the Colts' practice squad, but was released, and moved on to the Los Angeles Rams, where his career took off. He helped take the team to a Super Bowl championship in 2021, and was named to the Pro Bowl. He returned to Indianapolis in 2023, with a four-year, $22.5 million contract - the largest free-agent contract for a kicker in NFL history.
Initially, it seemed like a good investment, particularly in Week 3 of the 2023 season. Gay became the first kicker in NFL history to hit four 50+ yard field goals in a single game. However, injuries put a halt to whatever promise he initially showed, and ultimately, through his two seasons in Indianapolis, he had just a 50% success rate on attempts of 50 yards or longer (11 of 22). His completion percentage in 2024 was 83.8%, the 24th best percentage in the NFL among kickers with at least 10 attempts.
The signing of Shrader made it clear: Gay's job was on the line. However, he was shown the door faster than anyone might have expected. By cutting Gay, the Colts have cleared $2.75 million in cap space
CHIEFS WIN ON A LAST-SECOND FIELD GOAL!#KCvsCAR pic.twitter.com/OHMwGqbm4G
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024
With the announcement from the Colts, Shrader is now the only kicker on the Indianapolis roster. Shrader's road to Indy was a long and winding one, but the hope is surely that they have found themselves a long-time franchise kicker - something the Colts haven't had since the retirement of Adam Vinatieri.
Shrader, originally from Indianapolis, graduated from the University of Notre Dame, where he set aschool record with a 54-yard field goal. He initially signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2024, only to be released in October. He then signed with the New York Jets, and was traded to Kansas City to play for the Chiefs after Harrison Butker was injured. He notably hit a game-winning field goal against the Carolina Panthers, but a hamstring injury shortly afterwards placed him on injured reserve. Ahead of free agency, the Chiefs chose to release Shrader, and he landed in Indianapolis once again.