It didn’t take long for kicker Blake Grupe to find a new job after the New Orleans Saints cut him last week. The former team captain signed to the Indianapolis Colts practice squad on Tuesday afternoon and should immediately see the field.
Grupe was 18/26 on field goals in 2025 which converts to 69.2% and ranks 40th in the NFL. However, he was a perfect 15/15 on extra points. He undoubtedly has the leg to be an outstanding kicker, but his confidence is lacking.
Grupe was joined by Justin Tucker, who the Saints also got a look at last week, in tryouts but ultimately beat him for the job. The Colts waived starting kicker Michael Badgley, so Grupe will move into that starting role.
Moving on from Blake Grupe was the right decision for the Saints
Charlie Smyth proved on Sunday that the Saints were wise for moving on from Grupe. He made his only field goal attempt, a 56 yard bomb which cleared the posts easily. Smyth made a statement that he can be the future at kicker.
Smyth came into the league from the International Player Pathway Program in 2024. The former Gaelic Football player has been sitting on the practice squad since, developing and waiting for his next opportunity. His leg was never in question, he can kick the ball a mile, instead, his accuracy was inconsistent.
This offseason, Grupe easily outplayed Smyth. He was inconsistent and under scrutiny for his lack of accuracy. But, as Grupe lost confidence Smyth seemingly started to gain it until he finally got his opportunity ahead of week 13.
It was tough having to cut a captain in Blake Grupe, but ultimately it was the right decision. Luckily for him, it didn’t take long to find a new job as the Colts are taking a chance on him to be their starter. Now, it’s to be seen if he can regain his confidence and be the kicker everyone knows he can be.