The Colts will have a new kicker in 2025. On Thursday, the team announced they were releasing kicker Matt Gay after just two seasons. The move saves $2.75 million in cap space.
The hopes were high for Gay coming into Indianapolis. In 2023, general manager Chris Ballard shelled out significant cash to bring in his veteran experience. Gay inked a four-year, $22.5 million deal to join the Colts, an NFL record for a kicker at the time.
But the 31-year-old never lived up to expectations.
Gay had a strong start to his Colts tenure. He was a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal attempts in his first three games of 2023. This included an impressive Week 3 performance in Baltimore, where he went 5-for-5 from the field with four of those tries successful from beyond 50 yards, all while dealing with hurricane-like conditions.
It seemed that Gay had his signature moment with the Colts. But he only got worse.
Gay finished the season 33-for-41 on field goal attempts (80.5%) as the Colts fell just short of a playoff berth. After Baltimore, he would struggle from distance as well, converting only four of his nine attempts from beyond 50 yards (44.4%).
His inconsistent play carried into 2024. The preseason was one to forget for the former Utah Ute, who hit on just one of his four field goal tries in three games.
To make matters worse, Colts head coach Shane Steichen revealed just four days before the regular season opener that Gay was dealing with a hernia suffered during preseason, leaving his status for Week 1 up in the air. He would end up being inactive.
Gay made his season debut the following week, missing one of his two field goal attempts in an ugly 16-10 loss to the Packers.
Those struggles plagued Gay the rest of the season. He finished 31-for-37 (83.8%) overall, with the problems from distance remaining. From beyond 50 yards, he was a measly 3-for-9 (33.3%).
Ultimately, the Colts went away from Gay halfway through his deal. The next kicker in Indianapolis is far from set in stone, but Ballard already has added a potential replacement.
Former Notre Dame kicker Spencer Shrader signed to the Colts’ roster on March 13. Shrader is no stranger to Indianapolis, as he spent plenty of time with the team in 2024.
Shrader successfully made all six of his field goal attempts with Indy during preseason in 2024 and started their season opener against the Texans while Gay recovered from his hernia. He didn’t attempt a field goal, but did go 3-for-3 on extra points.
The 25-year-old didn’t make the initial 53-man roster but stayed with the Colts on their practice squad, signing Aug. 29. That would be the first of five times between August and October he would sign with Indy’s practice squad after being briefly released so Ballard and Steichen could perform roster gymnastics.
Shrader eventually joined the Jets’ practice squad on Oct. 30, playing in one game. His third and final team of the season was the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs where he played twice, filling in for an injured Harrison Butker.
Shrader made all five of his field goal tries on the year. Now, he remains the only place kicker rostered in Indianapolis.
The Colts are likely to add at least one more competitor for the job in training camp, but as of now, Shrader is the leader in the clubhouse. No matter who wins the job, it will be the Colts’ sixth different kicker since Adam Vinatieri retired in 2021.
