On Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs put rookie kicker Spencer Shrader on injured reserve because of a right hamstring injury and elevated kicker Matthew Wright from the practice squad to the active roster.
Shrader, who will be sidelined for a minimum of four games, sustained an injury early last week and did not participate in the Chiefs’ 19-17 home victory against the Las Vegas Raiders last Friday.
He was substituting for starting kicker Harrison Butker, who was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury on Nov. 14 and can return after this Sunday’s game versus the Los Angeles Chargers.
Shrader participated in two matches for the Chiefs, completing all three field goal tries with the longest of 41 yards and converting all six extra-point attempts. This season, he also played in one game each for the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets.
Wright debuted for the Chiefs versus the Raiders, successfully making 4 out of 5 field-goal attempts, with the longest kick of 42 yards, and went 1-for-1 on extra points. On October 10, he participated in a match for the San Francisco 49ers, successfully making 3 out of 3 field goals and 3 out of 3 extra points in a 36-24 victory against the Seattle Seahawks.
Throughout five NFL seasons with five different teams (including two spells with Kansas City), Wright has successfully converted 47 of 55 field goals (85.5 percent), with the longest kick of 59 yards, and has made 39 of 41 extra points (95.1 percent) across 26 regular-season games.
Shrader’s signed a three-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts
Shrader was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, but he grew up in Lithia, Florida. He joined the University of South Florida (USF) and served as the main placekicker and kickoff specialist for the Bulls, participating in 12 games during his inaugural collegiate season (2019).
In that season, he made four out of nine field goals and completed 12 out of 12 extra-point tries. His top season was 2021, where he finished with 66 points in 11 games, achieving 11 out of 12 field goal tries and 33 out of 33 on extra point attempts.
In 2023, he transferred to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, taking part in all 13 games of the 2023 NCAA Division. He made 15 field goals and completed 61 out of 62 extra points. He concluded that season as the team’s second-highest scorer with 106 points and established a new school record with a 54-yard field goal in the 45-24 victory against NC State.
In April 2024, Spencer returned to his hometown, signing a three-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts valued at $2,850,000 that included a $20,000 signing bonus, $20,000 guaranteed, and an average yearly salary of $950,000. He participated in only one game for the Colts, being promoted from the practice squad for the season opener against the Houston Texans following an injury to starter Matt Gay.
He completed all three of his extra-point tries but found himself abandoned once Matt Gay had recovered and was let go on 16 October.
His next stop was New York, where the Jets picked him up on 30 October and added him to the practice squad. He played his first game against the Arizona Cardinals last week. The Jets fell 6-31, with Shrader scoring all of the team’s points by successfully making both of his field goals, one from 45 yards away.
The Jets intended to add Shrader to their 53-man roster but delayed too long, leading the Chiefs to approach him with a one-year deal averaging $795,000 per year. In 2024, Shrader will receive a base salary of $353,336, with a cap hit of $353,336.
