Colts Waive Badgley, Add Recently Released Kicker
The Indianapolis Colts shook up their special-teams unit on Tuesday, cutting kicker Michael Badgley after seven games and bringing in former Saints kicker Blake Grupe on the practice squad. The move underscores how urgently the team wanted a change at one of its most delicate positions.
Badgley’s second run with the Colts started well enough, but uneven performance eventually became too costly. He missed three extra points in seven contests — a tough pill to swallow for a team fighting for a playoff berth.
Indianapolis initially signed Badgley when second-year kicker Spencer Shrader was injured in Week 5 against the Raiders. What looked like a temporary patch turned into a mounting problem as the postseason race tightened.
With the Colts relying heavily on situational football and late-game execution all year, any instability in the kicking game becomes glaring when every point matters. Badgley’s margin for error had essentially disappeared, prompting the team to act before December.
Enter Blake Grupe. After impressing in a workout earlier Tuesday, the Colts quickly added him to the practice squad. Grupe went 18-of-26 (69.2%) on field goals for New Orleans before being waived on November 25. His leg strength has always been evident, and Indianapolis hopes a change of scenery will bring steadier results.
While the Colts’ special teams have excelled in areas like punting and coverage, confidence in the kicking unit has been lacking. Bringing in Grupe is about more than depth — it’s about immediate competition and insurance as the team heads into a critical stretch.
By parting with Badgley and bringing in Grupe, Indianapolis is sending a clear message: there’s no room for uncertainty as the playoff push intensifies. Now the focus turns to whether Grupe can provide the consistency the team has been missing.
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