After years of stability, the Colts kicking game is once again in flux

There will be a new kicker in town for the Colts in 2025.

You don’t know what you got till it’s gone.

After suiting up for the Indianapolis Colts for over a decade, Adam Vinatieri provided reliability, skill, and a level of clutch that was simply taken for granted. He would trot out on the field, and more times than not, Colts fans had zero worries he would come through. The bigger the moment, the brighter he would shine. Yes, he had some misses (I’m looking at you, 29-yard chip shot against the Chargers to win the game after Manning threw six interceptions), but those moments were so few and far between compared to when he came through. Since Vinatieri, the story has been different, however, and the Colts are on the hunt for yet another replacement at the position.

Matt Gay was released, and while the move wasn’t incredibly surprising, it wasn’t wholly expected either. After being automatic on attempts inside of 50, Gay struggled mightily outside that range. So much so, that the Colts felt they could no longer trust him. An offense guided by Anthony Richardson has had plenty of drives come up short of the goal line. Having a kicker who can shorten the field to make it easier for the team to come up with points is crucial. The highest paid kicker and one of Chris Ballard’s biggest free agent signings, is out of a job.

There has been a line of kickers since Vinatieri hung it up in 2019. From Chase McLaughlin, to Rodrigo Blankenship, and even Michael Badgley. Each has had some success but not enough to stick around. None have had close to enough to make a two decade career out of it like the G.O.A.T. The Colts will now turn their attention to Spencer Shrader. Most likely, this isn’t the final move as Ballard will bring in another kicker for competition, but it shows how spoiled fans were with Vinatieri. The standard of excellence was set and experiencing anything less than that is deemed unacceptable. The kicking journey since his retirement shows how valuable the position is and how difficult it can be to solidify it.

It’s back to the drawing board for the Colts. A big leg is needed. An accurate leg is needed. A clutch leg is needed. Adam Vinatieri rose to the challenge time in and time out and showed Colts fans what true greatness looked like. While it is impossible to replace the G.O.A.T., it doesn’t mean the Colts shouldn’t continue to work towards getting as close as possible. Just because they haven’t found his replacement yet, it doesn’t mean they won’t. Maybe Spencer Shrader is that guy. Maybe he isn’t, and the Colts will be back to square one regarding the kicking game in a few short years or less.