The Indianapolis Colts were one of five teams who were interested in signing K Spencer Shrader during free agency.
Kicker Spencer Shrader ended up back with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, where his NFL career in 2024 began. However, when it came to making that decision as a free agent, the Colts were one of five teams that were interested in Shrader.
“There were five teams total,” Shrader said of free agency. “And so you’re kind of sifting through opportunities. Your agent is doing a lot of talking for you, but in my heart though I’m like, ‘I want to go back to the Colts.’ So it’s really cool that ended up working out.”
Shrader joined the Colts after the 2024 NFL draft as an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame. He spent the summer with the team and kicked in the Colts’ season opener while Matt Gay was out with an injury.
From there, Shrader was on and off the practice squad through the first half of the season as GM Chris Ballard frequently maneuvered the back end of the roster. He then eventually got opportunities with the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets.
So, after having played for two other teams during his rookie season, and with four other teams pursuing him in free agency, how did Shrader end up back with the Colts?
“A lot of the reasons,” Shrader said about why he wanted to return, “like being here last year around Luke (Rhodes) and Rigo (Sanchez) and their professionalism and just the type of guys they are and the type of coaching staff that’s been put in place by an organization that cares about character and values, I experienced so much growth here last year, that I felt a call to be back that there was more to experience.
“That’s one of the reasons I came back. Like, man, last year was so exciting, it was such an awesome experience, I want to be a part of that again. I want to help that program succeed as much as I can.”
Between his three stops with the Colts, Chiefs, and Jets in 2024, Shrader would finish his rookie season making all nine of his extra point attempts and all five field goal attempts as well, while appearing in four games.
That ability Shrader displayed to bounce from team to team and adjust to new snappers and holders on the fly, while remaining consistent, caught the Colts’ attention and is one of the reasons why the team wanted him back.
“He leaves us and performs and performs at two different teams –you know how hard that is?” GM Chris Ballard said. “That’s difficult now, to go to two different teams and have to perform – that is not easy. You’re working with a totally different operation at both – different snapper and different holder – and to go in and be successful.”
Not long after signing Shrader, the Colts made the decision to move on from veteran kicker Matt Gay. When speaking with reporters on Thursday, Shrader said he did not know that was going to happen when deciding to sign with Indianapolis.
That decision by Ballard goes to show, however, the confidence he has in Shrader to be the guy, even with relatively limited kicking experience at the NFL level.
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