The final entry in our Indianapolis Colts training camp battle previews will finish with the battle we might see in special teams. With the Colts releasing Matt Gay, they have brought back a familiar name in Spencer Shrader. The on and off kicker from the past has likely found a permanent spot on this football team. Shrader had stints with the Colts, Jets, and Chiefs last season. The Colts also signed UDFA Maddux Trujillo after the conclusion of the NFL Draft, who will fight for the one spot on this roster.
The Case For Spencer Shrader
While it came as a surprise to the Colts part ways with Matt Gay, a kicker who did not miss a kick all season inside of 50 yards, he did struggle in the 2024 season with kicks outside out of 50 yards. In fact, he was 3/9 on those 50+ yard kicks. His field goal percentage also dropped to 82 percent, when he was over 90 percent in past seasons. He simply did not live up to the expectations of the massive contract that he was signed to in the 2023 season.
Spencer Shrader was an on and off again leg for the team to keep the competition going for Matt Gay. Well, that competition leg has turned into a potential permanent replacement. Shrader did kick for three teams last season, and did not miss a kick the entire season. However, some context - none of those kicks were over 50 yards in distance. Shrader continues to improve, and the Colts obviously see something we do not if they are willing to move on from Matt Gay
The Case For Maddux Trujillo
I apologize for my redundancy with these rookies and UDFAs, but it's hard to truly know what they see in the prospect, or if they are truly just competition. If you watch tape of Trujillo, you see that he can hit field goals from deep. He hit a 64-yard field goal to end a half last season against Utah State, and was very accurate from inside fifty yards. He was not terrible from outside fifty yards either, hitting 5/8.
Final Prediction
It appears that Shrader has the early lead already in the offseason. Anytime you sign a kicker to a fresh deal and cut the incumbent, it's implied that you are the guy going forward. The Colts typically have two kickers every training camp and this year will be no different. If Shrader can show that he has the ability to make some deep field goals (consistently), then this will not be much of a competition. I fully expect Trujillo to make it interesting, but sometimes, these camp legs are kicking for another team to see them and grab them when the season starts. I expect Shrader to be the new starting kicker for this franchise when Week 1 arrives.