Colts' Chris Ballard Gives Info on Matt Gay Departure

The Indianapolis Colts had changes after signing cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Camryn Bynum in the early stages of free agency. However, they also saw their roster morph after losing prominent names like center Ryan Kelly, guard Will Fries, defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, and linebacker E.J. Speed.

But one move stands out the most and likely is the most shocking, releasing kicker Matt Gay after two years with the squad. After signing Gay to a monumental four-year, $22.5 million deal in 2023, the former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion's time in Indianapolis has concluded.

In his pre-draft press conference, general manager Chris Ballard made it apparent why Gay was released and provided more details on the big move to let go of an otherwise solid kicker.

"I think a lot of it had to do with Spencer (Shrader). Having Spencer last year gave us a real insight to his talent level. Then he leaves us and performs and performs at two different teams. You know how hard that is? That's difficult now, to go to two different teams and have to perform – that is not easy," said Ballard. "You're working with a totally different operation at both – different snapper and different holder – and to go in and be successful. This had more to do with Spencer than it did, really, with Matt.”

Gay was perfect from kicks under 50 yards, finishing 2024 with 28/28. However, it was his long attempts that were the issue at hand. Gay missed six field goals overall on the year, and all came from 50+ yards out (3/9 overall).

Spencer Shrader barely played and saw stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets. But, in his limited action, he was perfect, hitting 5/5 on field goals and 9/9 on extra points. Ballard also dove a bit further into Shrader.

"We're always looking for a guy with upside, kind of like last year with Spencer (Shrader). I give our special team coaches all the credit for that. They identified Spencer last year and said, ‘Look, he's got upside.’ We didn't necessarily have a vision that this is how it would work out, but you never know," mentioned Ballard. "So, they do a great job finding guys with some upside. So, we'll look for a guy with some leg strength and upside, and think we can work with and see how it plays out.”

Shrader was consistently brought in to backup Gay last year, so it's no surprise that the Colts think so highly of the South Florida and Notre Dame alum. As Ballard said, there might be competition coming in to press Shrader, we'll have to monitor and see if that happens with the Colts' new starter.

Ballard has a different style this 2025 offseason. The biggest reason is likely because his job might be on the line, along with head coach Shane Steichen and quarterback Anthony Richardson. The NFL draft is in three days, and the pressure is on for Ballard to be better than ever to set up the team for winning ways in 2025.

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