The Indianapolis Colts made an unsexy free-agent signing that could pay dividends when the season arrives.
The Indianapolis Colts made a move in free agency over the weekend that didn't catch much attention, but it could benefit the team greatly once the regular season arrives, nonetheless.
The Colts re-signed restricted free agent kicker Blake Grupe to a one-year, $1.4 million contract, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
"The Colts and K Blake Grupe have agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth up to $1.4 million, per his agent Mike Delle Donne," Garafolo posted on X (formerly Twitter). "Grupe was 11-for-11 on field goals in five games after Indy signed him in December."
Grupe — No. 5 on ColtsRoundtable's rank of Colts internal free agents — was a stabilizing presence for Indianapolis' kicking game in 2025 upon his arrival, converting on all 21 of his kick attempts over the final five games of the season.
Spencer Shrader was the Colts' kicker for the first five weeks of the season and was awarded the AFC's Special Teams Player of the Month award for September before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 6.
The Colts signed Michael Badgley to replace Shrader for the rest of the season, but after missing three extra points in seven games, the Colts were forced to cut Badgley and go back to the next option.
In came Grupe, who at 5'7", 156 pounds, was perfect in his stint with the Colts, no matter the distance, including 4-of-4 from 50-plus yards.
Grupe went through his own adversity earlier in the season, separate from the Colts. He spent the first 12 weeks of the season with the New Orleans Saints, where he'd been since 2023, but missed eight field goals, which led to his departure.
By the end of the year in Indianapolis, Grupe was 11-of-11 on field goal attempts and 10-of-10 on extra points. He also handled kickoff duties, booting it 27 times.
Moving forward, the Colts have bought themselves some insurance in the kicking game. Shrader was on his way to an outstanding season before his injury. However, there is no telling how he'll look when he returns, or even when he will be ready to return.
Meanwhile, if Shrader misses extended time during training camp or into the season, Grupe will be there. If Shrader doesn't perform well when he returns, Grupe will be able to compete with Shrader to be the team's kicker.
So, while on the surface this is just the Colts securing a second kicker, it could be them actually securing the person who will be among their leading scorers during the season.
The Colts are now projected to be $105,711 over the salary cap, according to OverTheCap.com. They have until 4:00 p.m. ET to get within the $301.2 million cap.