WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – After making all 11 of his field goal attempts in a five-game stint with the Colts to close out the 2025 season, one would think Blake Grupe wouldn't have had to wait until mid-October for his next opportunity to be an NFL team's kicker.
And yet, he found himself battling with Spencer Shrader – the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September last season prior to sustaining a season-ending knee injury last October – for the Colts' starting job. Indianapolis chose Shrader, waiving Grupe as part of their final 53-man roster cuts in late August after a tightly-contested preseason competition.
Grupe instead found himself on the Jets' practice squad to begin the 2026 season, where he spent the last five weeks before the Rams signed him as their new kicker on Wednesday, giving him another opportunity.
Was Grupe surprised he had to compete for an opportunity with the Colts this past offseason?
"No, not at all. I mean, Spencer's a hell of a kicker. He is one of my buddies. He followed me at Notre Dame. He was somebody I was checking on throughout the whole process when he was dealing with his knee," Grupe said Thursday about that competition with Shrader, as he spoke to Los Angeles media for the first time. "We both deserve to be there. I mean, at the end of the day, the Indianapolis Colts are in a great position with their kicking game, and obviously he's showing what he can do in these last five weeks. We duked it out as high levels of competition as you can have. Everything that's happened in my career has led me to where I'm at right here today with this team, and at the end of the day, wouldn't have it any other way."
Grupe was brought in to replace Harrison Mevis, whose missed 50-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter and blocked game-winning, 48-yard attempt in overtime Monday night against the Bills contributed to a league-high four misses in five games prior to being waived on Tuesday. Though, as head coach Sean McVay said Tuesday, the blame for the Rams' Monday Night Football loss did not fall on the shoulders of Mevis or the field goal unit alone.
Still, those missed opportunities led to Los Angeles wanting more production out of that phase, which is what they hope Grupe can provide.
Asked when there's a game like the one Monday night if he thinks there could be an opportunity in Los Angeles in the next day or two, Grupe said he stays ready regardless of the circumstances around the NFL.
Grupe also empathized with Mevis, having lived the same experience in late November 2025, when the Saints – who he had been with for two and a half seasons – waived him after he made just 1 of 3 field goal attempts in a 24-10 New Orleans loss to the Atlanta Falcons, which had brought him to a career-low 69% field goal percentage on the season.
"I mean, you support guys," Grupe said. "All 32 of us are in this together. Nobody wants to be in that position. I've been in that position. All I can worry about is staying prepared and staying ready."
Grupe has had success and proven capable before. He was the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 5 of the 2023 season after making both of his field goal attempts (54 and 53 yards) and all four of his extra point attempts in the Saints' 34-0 win over the Patriots. To that end, he said on Thursday that his time in Indianapolis – which included going 4 for 4 on field goal attempts of 50 or more yards – was a "big stint" in his career.
"Those five weeks in Indy were seriously big for me, big for my career," Grupe said. "I was able to get the ball rolling and show what I can do, and that was big for me."
While that stint didn't lead to the Colts' job, it all worked itself out in the end, as Grupe said. Shrader has been excellent for the Colts, converting a league-best 16 of 16 field goal attempts entering Week 6, and Grupe now has the opportunity he's been working and waiting for this Sunday against the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.
"At the end of the day, just take it one week at a time, one practice (at a time)," Grupe said. "Today was a good day out there, even with the gusty winds. So what a day to get out there. But yeah, we got to work. It's a good day to have a good day here, and prepping through Friday, Saturday, and take advantage of the opportunity on Sunday."
