Colts specialist earns AFC Player of the Month honors for September

Peter Miller

Colts specialist earns AFC Player of the Month honors for September image

The Indianapolis Colts have had a decorated first month of the 2025 season. First, Jonathan Taylor took home back-to-back AFC Offensive Player of the Week awards in Weeks 2 and 3. 

Now, kicker Spencer Shrader has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September, the team announced. It’s his first time winning the award in his career.

Shrader has gotten off to a smooth start in his second stint with the Colts. In the first four weeks of the year, he made 13 field goals and converted all 12 of his PAT attempts, totalling a league-leading 51 points.

Highlights of his stellar September include a career-long 52-yard field goal in a Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and a walk-off 45-yard field goal to secure a 29-28 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 2. The Colts leaned on Shrader heavily in that win as he was responsible for 17 of their 29 points. 

Shrader becomes the first Colts player to win AFC Player of the Month honors since Jonathan Taylor in November of 2021 and the first to win Special Teams Player of the Month since franchise legend Adam Vinatieri did it in October of 2016. 

For a franchise which has struggled to find a consistent and reliable performer since Vinatieri retired in 2021, Shrader’s excellent start to 2025 is a pleasant sign that the Colts may have found a long term answer at the position.

Peter Miller

Peter Miller is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is pursuing a degree in sports media from Indiana University-Bloomington. He is a contributor for the Hoosier Network, covering the Indianapolis Colts and Hoosier athletics. He has experience as a credentialed reporter at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and is an NFL Draft enthusiast.