Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen has important decision to make on his kicker.
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Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen has important decision to make on his kicker.
Like the rest of the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts are full of position battles this training camp. Often overlooked are the kicking competitions, which you’ll certainly care about in Week 7 when your guy misses another 30-yarder and there is nothing on the waiver wire to fix the situation.
The Colts are currently watching a battle between Spencer Shrader and Maddux Trujillo and the competition might not last much longer. Shrader drilled field goals of 53, 33 and 39 yards in the first half against the Baltimore Ravens in the Colts’ first preseason game. He clanked a 52-yarder off the upright to end the half, but so what? Life happens.
So far, it’s looking good for the second-year kicker from Notre Dame.
“He certainly has the leg up in this competition,” special teams coordinator Brian Mason said. “Spencer will start to get a bulk of the load as we move forward today. He had the majority of kicks today in practice; he will be the starting kicker, and the only kicker that will kick this weekend on Saturday against the Packers.”
Spencer Shrader has the clear lead over Trujillo
Last year at this time, it was Matt Gay who had a stranglehold on the kicking job after signing a four-year, $22.5 million contract in 2023. He was released this past offseason and has since signed with the Washington Commanders.
Shrader kicked in four games last year for three teams and was 5-5 and 9-9 on extra point attempts, which are pretty solid percentages. In training camp so far, he has made 87% of his kicks, while Trujillo has hit just 78%. Those numbers probably say much more about Trujillo than they do about Shrader. Shrader can be better and the Colts are really hoping that he’s not an idiot that gets liquored up.
“He’s just got to continue to get comfortable,’ Mason said. “In the joint practice, he had a 56-yarder that he slightly pulled to the left. In the game, he had a 52-yarder he slightly pulled to the left, so it’s just understanding the different situations and how to play the ball so we’re not pulling it to the left, which is the issue that’s come up of late.”
The competition between Shrader and Trujillo might be over
Jon Spradley of Stampede Blue thinks that the winner of this competition is all but a foregone conclusion. Kicking percentage aside and all things being equal (they aren’t), Shrader at least has some NFL experience compared to Trujillo the undrafted free agent.
“The kicking battle continues, but Spencer Shrader is inching closer to assuming the role of opening day starter,” Spradley writes. “Barring an injury, it appears his for the taking. Colts fans should relish the fact that a kicker is creating distance and showing strong ability.
“His first preseason game wasn’t perfect, but it was solid. Will he need to make more of those 52-yarders than he misses? Absolutely. Give him a chance to show what he can do, though. Only then can we can see if he can be part of the long term vision. Vinatieris don’t come around every day, but once in a blue moon, someone close just might.”
Not to overstate this, but it’s tough to see the Colts winning many games by 20 points. Point being, they are going to need every point they can get so simply winning this job probably only buys you 3-4 weeks of employment. The Colts will likely have a low tolerance level for the shaky stuff.