Colts Lose Spencer Shrader to Season-Ending Injury
Indianapolis Colts starting kicker Spencer Shrader will be out for the remainder of the 2025 season after suffering a leg injury while kicking an extra point in Sunday's win against the Las Vegas Raiders, per Pat McAfee.
McAfee, the former Colts punter, reported on his show that Shrader suffered multiple torn ligaments in his leg.
Raiders safety Tristin McCollum was attempting to block Shrader's extra point attempt early in the second quarter, but he was late. McCollum's body went straight into Shrader's leg, causing the kicker to leave the game immediately.
Shrader was off to a fantastic start this season, making 13 of 14 field goal attempts (92.9%). Shrader went a perfect 14-for-14 on extra point attempts. His lone field goal miss was against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, when he missed a 51-yarder wide right.
Shrader's 13 field goals made are the most in the league through five weeks this season, despite him not kicking a single one against the Raiders in Week 5.
His career-defining highlight came against the Denver Broncos in Week 2, when he drilled a 45-yard field goal to give the Colts the lead as time expired. Shrader had originally missed a 60-yard game-winning attempt, but a leverage penalty called on the Broncos meant that Shrader got a redo from 15 yards closer.
Shrader's elite accuracy will be difficult to replace. When the Colts cut Matt Gay in April, Shrader was considered to be a long-term replacement. Shrader's miss against the Titans is the only miss in his career.
Shrader won the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month award in September for his game-defining kicks.
With zero kickers on the practice squad, the Colts will have to bring in a free agent to fill Shrader's shoes for the final 12 games of the season.
Multiple former Colts kickers on the market, including Rodrigo Blankenship and Michael Badgley.
Blankenship spent just over two seasons with the Colts, drilling 45 of his 54 field goal attempts. Although he was elite from short distances, Blankenship struggled from beyond 50 yards. With the Colts, he made only one 50+ yard field goal.
Badgley filled in for the injured Blankenship in 2021 and kicked in 12 games for the Colts. He made 18 of his 21 field goal attempts, but made zero from 50 and beyond.
Other potential options include Justin Tucker, the former Baltimore Ravens kicker who found himself in legal trouble, and Dustin Hopkins.
Tucker was considered one of the league's best for many years, but he had a disappointing 2024 campaign. He made 22 of 30 attempts, which played a factor in the Ravens releasing him this summer.
Hopkins had a career-worst year in 2024 as well, making only 66% of his field goals with the Cleveland Browns. The year prior, however, was one of his best. Hopkins drilled eight field goals from 50+ yards in 2023, helping the Browns secure a few wins.
The Colts will need a replacement kicker ahead of their Week 6 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals this weekend.
Cowboys Legend Troy Aikman Urges NFL to Investigate Referees After Eagles’ Controversial Loss: “They Got Robbed, and the League Can’t Ignore This.
In the aftermath of the Philadelphia Eagles’ controversial 24–27 loss to the Denver Broncos, NFL legend and Cowboys icon Troy Aikman has delivered one of the strongest takes of the weekend — defending the integrity of the game and calling out the officiating that decided it.
“No one wanted the Eagles to lose more than I did, but not like this,” Aikman said during the postgame broadcast. “The Eagles got robbed, and everyone who watched that game knows it. Those calls weren’t just wrong — they stole what this team fought for.”
His statement came after a wave of outrage from fans on X (formerly Twitter), where hashtags like #EaglesRobbed, #NFLRefs, and #FlyEaglesFly trended overnight. Users accused referees of “manipulating” crucial moments that shifted momentum late in the game.
🔍 Controversial Plays That Sparked Aikman’s Reaction
Based on a deep search across X using keywords such as “Eagles robbed,” “overturned grounding,” “late hit Baun,”
and “uncalled PI Goedert Skinner”
broadcast rights restrictions
Still, fan-recorded and highlight clips have fueled the fire:
1️⃣ Overturned Grounding on Jalen Hurts (Q4)
A 15-second clip posted by @NFLHighlights shows Hurts flagged for
intentional grounding, only for the call to be overturned after review. Commentators can be heard saying,
2️⃣ Late Hit on Zack Baun (Q3)
Posted by @EaglesNation, this sideline fan video shows Baun hit late while fighting for a first down. The referee kept the flag in his pocket, igniting fan fury. Comments called it
“the most obvious late hit of the season” and “RefsAgainstUs.”
3️⃣ Uncalled Pass Interference on Dallas Goedert (Final Drive)
A reply from @SkipBaylessOfficial included ESPN footage showing Quinton Skinner grabbing Goedert’s jersey on the second-to-last play near the goal line. The missed call erased Philadelphia’s best chance at a comeback. Analysts circled the grab on-screen, calling it
“clear as day.”
4️⃣ Combined Highlight (All Three Calls)
A compilation posted by @PhillySportsTalk stitched together all three moments, captioned: “How refs cost Eagles the game.” The 45-second clip, using CBS broadcast angles, drew over
3,000 likes within hours.
Aikman’s comments have added legitimacy to the backlash, especially coming from a Cowboys legend known for his rivalry with Philadelphia. His willingness to defend the Eagles has stunned fans across both sides of the NFC East divide.
“I hate to say it,” Aikman added, “but that wasn’t football — that was chaos. And if the league doesn’t address it, this won’t be the last time fans feel like the game was taken out of the players’ hands.”
As the NFL faces mounting criticism over officiating consistency, this latest episode — and the words of Troy Aikman himself — have reignited one of the biggest debates in football:
has the integrity of the game been compromised?
