Spencer Shrader’s Season Ends in Heartbreak: Indianapolis Colts Kicker Suffers Devastating Knee Injury

Picture this: You’re having the season of your life, leading the entire NFL with 13 made field goals through just four games. You’re the guy who drilled that walk-off 45-yarder against Denver that had Colts fans dancing in the streets. Life is good. Real good. Then boom. One reckless hit changes everything.

McCollum got flagged for roughing the kicker, but that yellow flag won’t heal torn ligaments. According to former Colts Punter Pat McAfee, who broke the news on his show Monday, Shrader suffered multiple torn ligaments in his knee. The kind of injury that makes grown men cry and seasons disappear.

“It doesn’t look good,” Head Coach Shane Steichen said after the game, delivering the kind of understatement that makes you want to shake someone. No kidding, coach. When your kicker is writhing in pain and needs help walking off the field, “doesn’t look good” is putting it mildly.

Shrader Was Having a Career-Defining Season

Here’s what makes this injury so gut-wrenching: Shrader wasn’t just good this year – he was otherworldly. The 26-year-old had connected on 13 of 14 field goal attempts (92.9%) and was perfect on extra points at 14-for-14. His only miss? A 51-yarder that went wide right against Tennessee. That’s it. That’s the list.

The guy was so automatic that Colts fans probably started taking him for granted. His defining moment came in Week 2 against Denver, when he initially missed a 60-yard game-winner but got a second chance thanks to a Broncos penalty. From 45 yards out, Shrader buried it as time expired, sending Indianapolis into a frenzy. That is the kind of clutch gene you can’t teach.

The NFL recognized his excellence, too, handing him the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month award for September. Not bad for a guy who was supposed to be a “long-term replacement” for Matt Gay.

The Colts Face a Kicking Crisis

Now, Indianapolis finds itself in a pickle thicker than Indiana corn syrup. They’ve got zero kickers on the practice squad and 12 games left to play. That’s not exactly ideal when you’re trying to make a playoff push.

The usual suspects are available on the free agent market. Rodrigo Blankenship, who spent two seasons in Indianapolis, is out there. So is Michael Badgley, who filled in during 2021. Then there’s Justin Tucker, the former Ravens legend who hit some legal troubles, and Dustin Hopkins, coming off a rough 2024 campaign in Cleveland.

But here’s the thing about replacing a kicker having a magical season – it is like trying to replace lightning with a flashlight. These guys might be competent, but Shrader was special. He was the kind of kicker who made 51-yarders look like chip shots and never gave you reason to doubt.

A Senseless Injury That Could’ve Been Avoided

What really stings about this whole situation is how preventable it was. McCollum was late on the block attempt – way late. The kind of late that screams “unnecessary roughness” from the cheap seats. Sure, he got flagged, but what good does that do when Shrader’s knee is shredded?

This is exactly why the NFL has rules protecting kickers. They are in vulnerable positions, focused on technique and timing, not bracing for contact. When defenders come in recklessly, careers can end in an instant. Shrader was reportedly in good spirits when McAfee spoke with him, which tells you everything about his character. The guy’s season is over, his knee is mangled, and he’s still keeping his chin up. That’s the kind of mental toughness that made him successful in the first place.

Moving Forward Without Their Ace

The Colts will soldier on, because that’s what NFL teams do. They’ll sign somebody, probably this week, before facing Arizona. But let’s be honest – whoever they bring in won’t be Shrader. They won’t have his ice-cold veins or his perfect timing or his knack for coming through when it matters most.

This injury doesn’t just hurt the Colts’ championship aspirations; it robs us of watching a potential All-Pro season unfold. Shrader was on pace for something special, the kind of year that gets you Pro Bowl invitations and long-term security. Instead, he’ll spend the next several months rehabbing, wondering what might’ve been if McCollum had pulled up just a split second sooner.