Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason told reporters on Tuesday that he prioritizes the experience, stability and trust of NFL kickers above all else when considering mid-season substitutions.
The Colts signed Blake Grupe to the practice squad on Tuesday to replace waived kicker Michael Badgley, giving Mason a backup he’s familiar with having coached Grupe during his final college season at Notre Dame in 2022 before both moved on to the next level.
advertise
Here’s more you need to know about the Colts’ new position kicker, who has given him a key position in the lineup with an eye toward a deep playoff run.
Blake Grupp Statistics
Grupe was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023 after two-plus seasons with the New Orleans Saints. The 27-year-old was waived a week ago after missing two field goals in the Saints’ 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. New Orleans then worked out veterans Cade Yorke and Justin Tucker, eventually signing Yorke to their practice squad, then elevated Charlie Smith to game-day status on Sunday for his NFL debut.
Smith kicked his only kick of the game – a 56-yard field goal.
advertise
Gruppe, on the other hand, has been inconsistent with his shooting this year, dropping to 18-for-26 after missing two shots a week ago and averaging just under 70 percent (69.2 percent) all season long. In his first two seasons with the Saints, Gruppe has a career field goal percentage of 83.8% (57-of-68) with two misses within 30 yards (both 2023 rookies), three misses from 30-39 yards (two this year), six misses from 40-49 yards (three this year), and eight misses (three of them) from 50 yards or longer. 2025).
During Gruppe’s NFL career, he has made 89.6 percent of his field goals (43-of-48) of 40 yards or longer and 69.6 percent (32-of-46) of field goals of 41 yards or longer.
“As we saw in Week 14, most of the kickers were obviously on the street. So when it comes to evaluating new kickers, what’s the reason they’re not successful, or what’s the reason they might be on the street? In our case, is this something we can plug and play, and are they going to be ready for more success?” Mason told reporters on Tuesday when asked about the process of midseason kicker evaluation before Grupe’s signing was reported. “When you look at this, there are a lot of different factors, but without a doubt the number one thing is consistency.”
Colts kicker Blake Grupp scores extra point
Despite his recent struggles in field goal percentage, Grupe’s strength in his short NFL career has been in extra points — something that has been Bagley’s Achilles’ heel this season, as he has missed three PATs in seven games in 2025.
advertise
Gruppe is 15-for-15 on PAT attempts this year and is one of only 12 kickers in the league to make at least 10 starts without missing an extra point attempt. In 45 NFL starts, Grupe has missed just two PAT attempts – those misses coming in Weeks 2 and 5 of the 2024 season. For his career, the 27-year-old Gruppe is 86-for-88 on PATs.
Considering the reasons why the Colts cut Bagley, Indianapolis’ confidence in the third-year NFL kicker now appears to play a role.
“We’re looking for someone who’s experienced, we know he can handle the pressure, we know he can make plays consistently,” Mason said Tuesday. “Everybody’s going to love a guy who can make a 60-yard field goal, make all the PATs and consistently kick field goals. But when we look at these things now, we’re looking at, ‘Hey, who can make a PAT and reliably kick the ball inside the 50? Who can we trust to be able to do that over the next five weeks and then make the playoffs and be able to play outside where we know we can handle that pressure?'”
Why did the Colts select Blake Grupp as kicker?
Gruppe isn’t the only player the Colts brought in on Tuesday with whom they have some level of familiarity. Maddux Trujillo, an undrafted free agent who is in training camp with the Colts this year, also participated in Tuesday’s game, as did 13-year NFL veteran Justin Tucker.
advertise
But at least with Mason, Grupe has a wealth of experience, spending his fifth and final college season in South Bend as the Colts’ special teams coordinator after four years at Arkansas State. In 2022, Gruppe shot 49-for-49 from the field and finished with a perfect 14-point shooting percentage of 19-point range.
It’s that familiarity, combined with experience playing this year and a perfect PAT performance in 2025 despite a rocky road to field goal percentage this season, that could combine to help Grupe get a second chance in the NFL — a resume that could very well serve as an audition for teams around the league that might get openings next year.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts All season long. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV Colts Internal Communications.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Blake Grupp: What to know about new Colts coach
