One game into the 2022 season, Rodrigo Blankenship is being replaced by the Indianapolis Colts. According to an unnamed source who was aware of the decision, the Colts are dismissing the 25-year-old kicker who signed with the team in 2020, according to NFL Network Insider on Tuesday. Since then, the news has been formally published by the team.
To continue competing for the starting job against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, the Colts have added kickers Chase McLaughlin and Lucas Havrisik to the practice squad. In Sunday’s 20-20 draw with the Houston Texans, Blankenship missed a possible game-winning 42-yard field goal after putting it way wide right. Two kickoffs were also kicked out of bounds by the kicker.
Blankenship managed the position for all 16 of the Colts’ games in 2020, but only appeared in five contests in 2021 before sustaining a hip injury that sent him on injured reserve. Even though Blankenship returned to health late in the previous campaign, Indianapolis decided to remain with Mike Badgley.
