The NFL is a cruel place where a single mistake can be the end of your career. After missing a game-winning kick this past weekend, Rodrigo Blankenship is on his way out of the Circle City.
The Indianapolis Colts are trying out replacements for Blankenship, whom they waived on Tuesday. The Indianapolis Star reported that the Colts brought in the former Jaguars tandem of Josh Lambo and Matthew Wright, although it appears Wright is a certainty to not sign with the team.
Lambo hasn’t been a regular kicker in almost two seasons but was brought in for the tryout after Blankenship missed a potential game-winning 42-yard kick by so much that it even missed the retaining net behind the goalposts. It resulted in Blankenship being waived by the team Tuesday afternoon.
Colts waiving kicker Rodrigo Blankenship (per @TomPelissero)https://t.co/FBHPRrn9WV pic.twitter.com/nnmVhjfeo6
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) September 13, 2022
Let Rodrigo Blankenship be a lesson to GMs: if you're going to have an offseason roster spot competition, have a real competition. Don't sign a scrub as competition and call him competition. Your team suffers when you have insincere, self-fulfilling roster competition.
— Collin (@cmccollo) September 13, 2022
With the spot now open, all signs point to Josh Lambo being the next kicker for the club although it’s unknown how many kickers the team brought in for tryouts beyond Lambo and Wright. If it is indeed Lambo, the Colts will get a seasoned kicker with an 87 % success rate on his kicks and a soccer background, he was drafted by FC Dallas in 2008 and switched to football in 2015. He was last on the Steelers practice squad before cutting released in November.
Lambo remains embroiled in a lawsuit against the Jacksonville Jaguars regarding his claim that former coach Urban Meyer kicked him in practice.
