Overview
- The kicking competition remains essentially neck‑and‑neck as of Aug. 24 and the Colts must cut their roster to 53 players by Aug. 30, forcing a choice between Blake Grupe and Spencer Shrader.
- Special teams coordinator Brian Mason said both candidates are legitimate options and that he “doesn’t think we could really go wrong,” while reporting Grupe has converted 86 percent of all reps and Shrader 81 percent.
- Shrader has shown long‑range upside in the preseason with makes of 61, 53 and 48 yards and carries the context of a 2025 season that ended with an ACL/MCL knee injury.
- Grupe has been the steadier performer in camp and was perfect in a five‑game sample last season, making all 11 field goals and 10 extra points and holding the franchise long at 60 yards.
- The Colts will increase pressure reps this week and split kicking opportunities in the final preseason game, and coaches will weigh in‑game performance, practice trajectory and projected season‑long reliability before the Aug. 30 roster decision.