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What Happened to Spencer Shrader? Answering 5 Questions Colts Fans Are Asking
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- What Happened to Spencer Shrader? Answering 5 Questions Colts Fans Are Asking
Colts fans spent Sunday afternoon watching their team take the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings to the final 75 seconds. Then, two possessions after Spencer Shrader missed a game-tying 48-yarder, they watched Harrison Smith pick off Daniel Jones, and the Indianapolis Colts left U.S. Bank Stadium with a 16-10 loss and a 2-5 record.
It was a week that started with Chris Ballard's firing and ended with two missed field goals and more trade deadline chatter. Here are five questions Colts fans are asking after the loss.
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What happened to Spencer Shrader?
Oct 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Indianapolis Colts kicker Spencer Shrader (3) celebrates a succesful field goal with guard Jalen Farmer (62) in the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Shrader came in 18-for-18 on field goals this season, according to ESPN , then went 1-for-3 on Sunday. He made a 43-yarder at the end of the first half but missed from 56 yards wide left in the third quarter and from 48 yards wide right with 4:27 left, when a make would have tied the game at 13.
There's at least some context on the first one. Former Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers got a great jump off the edge and may have affected Shrader's approach, the Star Tribune noted . The 48-yarder was just a miss. Shrader has earned plenty of trust, so one bad day isn't a reason to panic about the kicker.
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Are the Colts selling at the trade deadline after losing to the Vikings?
Aug 29, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) celebrates after an intercaption against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
It's looking more and more like it. Indianapolis is three games under .500, without a permanent general manager, and teams have already called about Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner . Grover Stewart and Jonathan Taylor have come up too.
Sunday didn't hurt anybody's value. Stewart blocked a 59-yard field goal, Buckner had five tackles and Taylor ran for 95 yards and a 38-yard touchdown. Nelson's expiring contract makes him the most logical name to move, since a trade could return a 2027 pick instead of waiting on a 2028 compensatory selection. A close loss to a 6-0 team is a nice moral victory, but it doesn't move the Colts any closer to the playoffs.
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Should Anthony Richardson start over Daniel Jones?
Oct 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) drops back to pass against the Minnesota Vikings in the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
The case for a switch got a little louder. Jones finished 13 of 22 for 108 yards, took four sacks and threw the game-ending interception. He came into the week with six interceptions and three fumbles, per FOX59 , so Sunday's pick added to a problem that's been there all season.
Still, Jones played turnover-free football for nearly 59 minutes against a defense that blitzes more than anyone . Richardson's situation is complicated anyway, with his name in trade conversations before the deadline. A quarterback change after this game would be more about frustration than evidence.
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Is Shane Steichen's job in danger?
Oct 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen reacts in the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
It depends on who Carlie Irsay-Gordon hires to replace Ballard. A new general manager usually wants his own coach, and that hire could decide whether Steichen survives past this season.
Sunday didn't help his case. Steichen chose a 56-yard field goal on fourth-and-2 in the third quarter and a 48-yarder on fourth-and-2 in the fourth, per the play-by-play , with a running game averaging 4.7 yards a carry. Both kicks missed. The Colts lost by six. Those are the kinds of decisions a new GM will be looking at closely.
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Why did the Colts settle for a field goal before halftime?
Oct 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Seth McGowan (20) rushes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Penalties and Blake Cashman. Seth McGowan ran to the Minnesota 3-yard line with 33 seconds left in the half, but a holding call on Tanor Bortolini wiped it out and pushed the Colts back to the 17. Two plays later, Cashman sacked Jones for an 11-yard loss, and Shrader kicked the 43-yarder to make it 10-6.
Cashman finished with 12 tackles, two sacks and four pass breakups. The Colts were called for four offensive holding penalties on the day. Without that flag, Indianapolis has a real shot at a 14-6 halftime lead, and the fourth quarter looks a lot different.
This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
