Through ten weeks of the NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts sit at a very impressive record of 8-2. Not only that, but the team just announced that they were all in on 2025 by sending two first-round picks and young wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets in exchange for one of the league's premier young cornerbacks in Sauce Gardner.
Indianapolis believes they have a real shot at taking home the Lombardi this year. Unfortunately for the Colts, just one weak link in the entire team can derail a championship-worthy roster, and that weakest link was exposed in Germany against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10.
Young kicker Spencer Shrader was having a magnificent season at the kicker position for the Indianapolis Colts, but unfortunately, he's out for the year with a serious knee injury. That injury meant that just a few weeks ago, Indy made a move to bring in a new kicker, and they did that by signing Michael Badgley to the team.
Unfortunately, it hasn't exactly been sunshine and rainbows for the newly signed kicker.
The Indianapolis Colts need to bring in kicking competition before it's too late.
To be clear, Badgley hasn't been bad enough to outright cut him (at least not yet). But the team's kicking woes reared their ugly head in Week 10, with Badgley missing not only a 53-yard field goal, but also an extra point. Had either of those kicks gone through the uprights, then Indy wouldn't have had to go into overtime at all.
Through just five games with the team, Badgley has gone 15-17 on extra points and 7-8 on field goals. Those numbers aren't downright terrible, but when watching the games, fans can never watch Badgley before a kicking attempt and feel certain that he will be able to convert it.
Badgley doesn't need to be replaced yet, but bye weeks are times when teams address all facets of what could go wrong with their seasons, and if Badgley has another game like he did against the Falcons in a playoff setting, it could mean the end of the team's season.
He doesn't need to lose his job outright, but some competition being brought in to light a fire under Badgley definitely couldn't hurt.
It's quite a luxury that the Indianapolis Colts are coming into a bye week at 8-2, and one of the biggest issues the fans have with the team is the kicking unit. That speaks to how well the rest of the team has performed throughout the year. Still, don't let anyone ever lie to you and say that special teams doesn't matter.
Often, a season can come down to the difference between a single made kick or a single miss, and for a team that is looking to still be competing in February, the Colts need to address their kicking problem. Not to do that could just be jeopardizing the magical season that Colts fans have enjoyed this far this year.