The Indianapolis Colts are heading into Week 11, and there are some questions as to whether veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri will be with the team by season’s end.
It’s clear the Colts are evaluating the position as it’s been reported they are working out a handful of kickers Monday—marking this the second time this season they have brought in a group of free-agent kickers.
While it isn’t clear if the Colts want to move on from Vinatieri, who has missed 11 kicks in nine games, there is still the chance they make a move if they feel it will help them stay in the playoff race.
Here are six free-agent kickers the Colts could consider signing:
Cole Hedlund
A familiar face with the Colts, Hedlund signed with Indy as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft out of North Texas. The rookie was impressive in his preseason with the Colts as he made six of eight field-goal attempts and was perfect on his three extra-point attempts.
Hedlund might not have the biggest boot in the world, but the Colts need accuracy more than they need distance, especially with how often they a privy in going for it on fourth down.
Matt McCrane
A 24-year-old who has spent several short stints with a few teams, McCrane signed with the Arizona Cardinals following the 2018 NFL Draft. He was cut before the regular season started and wound up spending the season with three teams—Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers.
In that season he only played five games. He converted eight of 12 field-goal attempts but two of the misses were from more than 50 yards. He was perfect on all nine extra-point attempts.
Elliott Fry
A South Carolina product who has yet to see time in the NFL, Fry has a strong track record of accuracy from college where he converted 66 of 88 field goals in four seasons. He also went 161 for 162 in extra-point attempts as a Gamecock.
Fry was also perfect on his 14 field-goal attempts during his eight weeks with the Orlando Apollos in the AAF before the league was suspended. He’s currently on the St. Louis Blackhawks, who drafted him ahead of the 2020 XFL season.
Greg Joseph
After spending four seasons at Florida Atlantic, Joseph signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft. He was released during roster cuts and signed with the Cleveland Browns where he appeared in 14 games.
Joseph was solid converting 17 of 20 field-goal attempts, but he was 25 of 29 on extra-point attempts. The South Africa native was among the group of kickers the Colts worked out earlier in the season.
Cody Parkey
Most will dismiss Parkey because of his brutal 2018 season followed by the doink that resulted in a loss for the Chicago Bears in the playoffs. However, he hasn’t been terrible throughout his career. He’s posted a field-goal conversion rate of 84.3% and a 95.1% conversion rate on extra points.
The 28-year-old had a promising stint with the Tennessee Titans earlier in the season but was released when Ryan Succop returned from injury. He was also among the group of kickers the Colts worked out earlier in the season.
Cairo Santos
The least-likeliest of the group to be considered by the Colts, Santos could be a veteran option Indy looks at. There is some familiarity with general manager Chris Ballard, who was with the Chiefs at the same time as Santos for the latter’s first three-plus seasons in the league.
Santos might get a look, but he looked really bad earlier in the season with the Titans when he made just four of nine field-goal attempts. However, four of the misses came in one game. He was perfect on his 12 extra-point attempts during his five games with the Titans this season.
