Matt Gay's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (hernia) is officially inactive for Week 1 of the regular season on Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texans. Gay recently underwent surgery for a sports hernia and wasn't able to practice this week, although the Colts listed him as questionable on the Week 1 final injury report on Friday. The 30-year-old veteran booter was trending toward not playing all week, though, and the final indication that he wouldn't play this weekend was when the Colts elevated rookie kicker Spencer Shrader to the active 53-man roster on Saturday. It's unclear if Gay will be ready to kick in Week 2 at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, but fantasy managers need to look for another option in Week 1. We'd suggest ignoring Shrader in his NFL debut and look for other more reliable kicking options to replace Gay.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (hernia) is officially questionable for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans. Although he was officially listed as a non-participant in practice all three days this week, head coach Shane Steichen did note that Gay has been doing some kicking. Therefore, with the questionable tag, Indianapolis is leaving the door open for him to play. In the event that he can't suit up, the Colts could choose to elevate Spencer Shrader from the practice squad. Shrader was 4-for-4 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points during the preseason. Gay would rank as a low-end K1 option if he does play in the season opener.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (hernia) was not seen at Friday's practice, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. This is not a great sign for the 30-year-old who has not logged one practice, which puts his status for Week 1 in danger. Gay underwent a sports hernia procedure after the team's final preseason game during the final week of August. If Gay cannot suit up on Sunday, rookie Spencer Shrader will likely serve as the No.1 when the Colts take on the Houston Texans. Gay had one of the worst seasons of his career last fall as he posted a mere 80.5% on field goal attempts, which was a start drop compared to the strong 93.3% he held in 2022. Fantasy managers looking to stream a kicker this weekend should not look to adding Shrader, who could be making his NFL debut on Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (hernia) missed his second straight day of practice on Thursday after recently undergoing surgery for a sports hernia. The fact that Gay has yet to practice so far this week is a sign that he's not going to be available to kick in the Week 1 regular-season opener this Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texas, so fantasy managers that were planning on using him as a low-end fantasy kicking option to kick off the year should begin to start searching for a streaming replacement. Rookie Spencer Shrader will most likely be called up from the practice squad later this week if Gay is officially ruled out, but fantasy managers should look to avoid the unproven kicker if he makes his first NFL start against the Texans.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (hernia) said he underwent surgery for a sports hernia, which is why he's not taking part in the team's first official practice on Wednesday. Gay had something flare up after the team's preseason contest against the Cincinnati Bengals and could be trending toward missing Week 1 of the regular season this Sunday versus the division-rival Houston Texans. Fantasy managers that were banking on using Gay as their starting kicker to open the year may already have to pivot and go in another direction. If he cannot kick this Sunday, rookie Spencer Shrader would be added to the active roster to make his NFL debut. It's best to just avoid Indy's kicking situation altogether in fantasy if Gay ends up being inactive against the Texans, which is the way this appears to be trending.