Perhaps one of the more under-the-radar competitions that will take place on the Indianapolis Colts roster this summer is at the kicker position.
While there are a number of new potential training camp battles that will unfold following the 2026 NFL draft, this competition has been scheduled for much of the offseason.
Competing for this job will be Spencer Shrader and Blake Grupe.
“I think it’s unique,” said special teams coordinator Brian Mason. “Certainly with two proven guys at this level is certainly unique. We have two guys who are talented enough and deserving to be starting kickers in the NFL. They’re both great teammates, and do all the right things, and work really hard. That’s going to be exciting to see how both of them compete. I think it will bring out the best in both of them.”
Grupe was re-signed earlier this offseason by the Colts as a free agent. He joined the team late in the 2025 season, as the team searched for stability at kicker, following Shrader’s early-season knee injury.
From Week 14 through the end of the season, Grupe was a perfect 10-for-10 on field goal attempts and 11-for-11 on extra points, according to PFF.
Before Shrader’s injury, he was 14-for-14 on extra points and 13-of-14 on field goals, which includes hitting a game-winner against Denver. Shrader earned the kicking job going into last season by winning a training camp competition over Maddux Trujillo.
Mason says that this year’s kicking competition between Grupe and Schrader will be structured similarly to last year’s.
“One of them will certainly win the competition and be starting for the Colts, and one of them will be fortunate enough to start for someone else,” Mason said. “But I think they’re both gonna be starting kickers this year in the NFL.”
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts coach addresses under-the-radar position battle set to take place
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
