Report: Colts Sign Kicker Matt Gay to Record-Breaking Deal
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The kicker position has given the Indianapolis Colts fits since the last year of Adam Vinatieri's Hall-of-Fame career. The team is hoping those days are over.
NFL Network's Peter Schrager is reporting the Colts are signing former Los Angeles Rams kicker Matt Gay. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports the deal for Gay is a four-year, $22.5 million deal. The contract marks the biggest deal for a kicker in free agency in NFL history.
Gay was a fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2019 NFL Draft. After only one season with the Buccaneers, Gay was waived before the beginning of the 2020 season in favor of veteran Ryan Succop.
Gay's first stint with the Colts began ten days after he was waived by the Bucs. The kicker signed to Indy's practice squad and remained with the team until November 2020. The Rams signed Gay off the Colts' practice squad, and his career has taken off from there.
Gay quickly solidified the kicking spot in Los Angeles, becoming one of the most accurate kickers in the league. Gay was selected to the 2021 Pro Bowl on the way to helping the Rams to a victory in Super Bowl LVI.
For his career, Gay is 101-for-115 (87.8%) on field goals and 138-for-145 (95.2%) on extra points. The kicker is also 17-for-23 (73.9%) from kicks over 50 yards, including 11-for-14 (78.6%) from over 50 the last two seasons. These numbers rank near the top of the league since Gay entered the NFL in 2019, warranting the massive contract he received.
The Colts have desperately searched for a reliable kicker for the past few seasons. Rodrigo Blankenship and Michael Badgley shared the duties in 2021, with Blankenship being brought back in 2022. After missing a game-winning field goal against the Houston Texans in Week 1, Blankenship was cut, with Chase McLaughlin being brought in to replace Hot Rod.
McLaughlin performed well the rest of the season, going 30-for-36 (83.3%) on field goals and 9-for-12 (75%) on attempts longer than 50 yards. Many expected the Colts to re-sign McLaughlin after his solid 2022 campaign. But the Colts had other ideas, as Gay will now look to solidify the kicker position for years to come.
By the value of the contract, the Colts made kicker a priority this offseason. With the margin of error so small in the NFL, teams need a kicker they can rely on when their number is called. Indy has found that with Gay, and the Colts are back to having one of the best kickers in the game donning the Horseshoe.
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