Blake Grupe, at 5-foot-7 and just over 150 pounds, doesn't necessarily strike an imposing figure compared to the rest of his teammates – especially standing next to guys like Drew Ogletree and Jalen Travis. But on Sunday, the Colts kicker showed just how much of an impact he could make, regardless of his size.
With 52 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Colts stood at Seattle's 42-yard line at Lumen Field. It was 4th and 3, they were trailing 15-13 and had no choice but to call upon their kicker for what felt like a Hail Mary kind of kick. Grupe's career-long was 57 yards, which he made in 2024, and he'd nailed a 54-yard kicker earlier in Sunday's game. But even just a six-yard difference is a massive one.
The Colts believed in him, though. They'd seen him make kicks in practice over the last couple of weeks and they saw him make both of his field goal attempts and both PATs in the pouring rain in Jacksonville last weekend. And Grupe, looking as calm and composed as anyone, did not disappoint. His 60-yard kick sailed directly through the uprights without a single wobble, putting the Colts up 16-15 and setting a new franchise record (and career-high) in the process.
While the Colts went on to fall to the Seahawks 18-16, as their own kicker made a 56-yarder to win it, the importance of the moment wasn't lost on Grupe or his team.
"Everything we do is for those type of moments right there," Grupe said after the game. "To go out there and deliver with Luke (Rhodes) and Rigo (Rigoberto Sanchez), and for this team, it felt pretty special, to be real honest."
"It's huge," head coach Shane Steichen said. "He's got the distance to do it, so it was huge by him getting that done."
When the Colts signed Grupe to their practice squad on Dec. 3, they did so because they needed someone who could make PATs and short-range field goals. They weren't looking for a remarkably strong leg. They just needed someone who wouldn't fold under pressure and who had enough experience to be a reliable presence for the final month of the 2025 regular season.
"We're really looking who has experience, who can be consistent that can be relied upon to make their free throws and layups, that we can depend on," special teams coordinator Brian Mason explained prior to Grupe's signing. Grupe, who had been waived by the New Orleans Saints the week before, impressed during tryouts – and his relationship with Mason, who was his special teams coach at Notre Dame in 2022, reinforced the Colts' belief that Grupe could satisfy their requirements.
"Does have a little bit bigger leg, even for somebody that's a smaller guy," Mason said. "Did not kick the ball well enough this year. Obviously, that's why he was available for us to be able to try out. But it was one of those things like, 'Hey, he is kicking the ball at a high level. We just saw him do it at the tryout. Hey, I do know his mental makeup is really strong.' So, if in the right situation with maybe our two veteran holder and long snapper, we can be able to get out of him what he did in 2024 and be able to make some progress with that."
On Sunday, Grupe showed his leg and his mental fortitude. He also showed he had the advantage of experience; he'd spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with the New Orleans Saints, who just so happened to play the Seahawks in Week 3 (in the pouring rain, no less). In that game, Grupe made two field goals and a PAT.
"I played here Week 3 in the rain and wind and everything," Grupe said. "So I definitely have some familiarity to come back to a place I've already been. And this place is one of the ones they call hostile, so to be able to just (go out there), with the crowd and everything going crazy, definitely it's familiarity."
While Sunday's game was a milestone one in Grupe's career, in his mind he was just playing his role and doing his job, just like quarterback Philip Rivers was by connecting with wide receiver Alec Pierce for a crucial 16-yard gain, and just like every other one of his teammates that contributed to getting him in that position in the first place.
"Everybody has a role," Grupe said. "That's the best part about football."
