When news first broke about Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay sustaining an injury just a week prior to the season opener against the Houston Texans, many thought he was dealing with a groin setback.
While Gay is still without a timeline for return, the extent of the injury and the prognosis have been revealed.
The veteran kicker is entering the second year of his contract with the Colts. He signed a four-year deal worth $22.5 million with $13 million guaranteed during the 2023 offseason.
Matt Gay injury update
Ahead of Wednesday's practice, head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Gay is dealing with a hernia, though he did not clarify whether Gay had surgery.
That update came shortly after when Gay himself told reporters he had surgery to repair the hernia. While he didn't rule himself out for Week 1, he also doesn't know when he will return.
Early reactions from Colts fans are not good, with many pointing out that the severity of a hernia is often much worse than that of a hamstring injury.
As of publication, Gay's status for Sunday's contest against the Texans remains uncertain, although he has not practiced yet this week.
If Gay does miss game time, practice squad kicker Spencer Shrader is the likely replacement.
In college, Shrader played at South Florida and Notre Dame. As a senior, he converted 15 out of his 22 field-goal attempts. He was deadly accurate on extra points, though, converting 61 out of 62 attempts.
Shrader went undrafted in 2024, but he could make his NFL debut earlier than expected if Gay's injury is as serious as it has the potential to be.
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