Colts Sign Blake Grupe for Kicking Competition

0:00On March 9th, the Indianapolis Colts are setting up a kicking competition by signing former New Orleans Saints kicker Blake Group to a one-year deal, worth up to $1.4 million. This comes after Spencer Schrader suffered a season ending knee injury early in the 2025 campaign. Group stepped in late last season and went perfect, making all 11 field goals and all 10 extra points over five games. Here this week, reports confirm the deal, giving Group a real shot to claim the job. Schrader had been lights out before his injury, hitting 13 of 14 field goals and all 14 extra points, including a clutch. 45 yard to beat Denver, the team ditched Michael Bagley due to shaky extra points, leaving them scrambling. Fans and analysts see this as a savvy move, especially with the Colts' history of kicker headaches. Handed Matt Gay of 4-year, $22.5 million contract in 2023, the richest ever for a free agent kicker at the time.

1:01But he struggled on long kicks the next year. Kickers have caused indie gains before, fueling their push for reliability. Group shown brightest with a career-long 60-yard field goal and a tight loss to Seattle, dueling one of the league's best. Released by the Saints in late November 2025, he turned things around quickly with the Colts. While both kickers gear up for a battle in training camp, ensuring the strongest leg leads Indianapolis into the new season.