Colts sign familiar face at kicker to roster; what does it mean for Matt Gay?

The Indianapolis Colts announced that they have signed kicker Spencer Shrader to the roster. James Boyd of The Athletic would report that it is a two-year deal.

Shrader should be a very familiar name for Colts fans, as he was one and off the practice squad countless times last season after originally signing with the team as a UDFA after the 2024 draft and being with Indianapolis through training camp.

With the Colts, Shrader did appear in the team's Week 1 matchup with Houston while Matt Gay was sidelined with an injury. He would make all three extra point attempts in that contest.

After moving on from the Colts, Shrader would also spend time with the New York Jets, appearing in one game, and with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he appeared in two games. In total for his rookie year, Shrader was 9-for-9 on extra points and 5-for-5 on field goals, according to PFF.

As far as what this means for Gay, at least at this time, I wouldn't read a ton into it just yet. As mentioned, Shrader was on the roster all last offseason, and it isn't uncommon to see teams roster two kickers during training camp to balance out reps.

During his two seasons with the Colts, Gay has been steady on attempts under 50 yards, missing only two tries, but on kicks over 50 yards, he has really struggled. Between 2023 and 2024, Gay is a combined 11-for-22 on such attempts, an area where he must improve.

This is still Gay's job, but Shrader's presence could elevate the level of urgency at the position. GM Chris Ballard has said that adding competition throughout the roster would be on his to-do list this offseason.

Of note, if Gay is cut after June 1st, according to Over the Cap, the Colts would save $4.75 million in cap space in 2025 and 2026 while incurring dead cap hits of $2 million each year as well.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts free agency: Indianapolis signs K Spencer Shrader

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