Matt Gay recovered from hernia surgery in less than three weeks, an impressive feat for the Colts kicker.
But Gay is still struggling with some of the physical consequences of the incident.
According to the NFL’s official injury report, Gay missed practice on Wednesday due to a right quadriceps issue. The categorization may differ, but the quadriceps issue is a result of his hernia operation.
“The body’s complex,” Gay explained. “After one injury, certain things begin to overcompensate in other ways. You simply want to make sure you’re looking after your body and doing everything you can to go on the field.”
Gay felt better by Thursday.
The veteran kicker returned to the practice field and converted every field goal he attempted, including two attempts over 50 yards.
“I feel good, confident,” Gay stated. “My body feels wonderful to go. I believe I’m at a terrific moment in my career to go out and play.
Gay has been frustrated by his recurrent injury troubles.
When the Colts signed him to a four-year, $22.5 million contract in free agency, they assumed they had solved their kicker position problem by acquiring a proven veteran. Gay looked like that kicker for the first half of his debut season in a Colts uniform before suffering a hip injury and struggling in the second half.
Injuries have been the narrative since then.
Gay missed three kicks in the preseason, developed a hernia following the preseason finale, and needed surgery. The 30-year-old returned in an impressive length of time, but as he returned to the field in the week leading up to the game against the Packers, he felt the effects of the surgery.
“Felt a little tightness in the quad,” Gay explained. “It’s nothing severe.”
Gay did not believe the tightness in his quadriceps was severe enough to prevent him from kicking against Green Bay.
“I wouldn’t have gotten on the field if I didn’t feel good,” Gay joked.
An NFL kicker’s preparation revolves mainly around how he feels.
There is no established standard for a kicker’s workload.
“You load-manage yourself, depending on what you feel your body is capable of or what you need,” said backup Indianapolis kicker Spencer Shrader. “I feel like I can handle more kicks, so I kick more than most kickers, but it just depends.”
Gay made his first attempt of the season, a 34-yarder, and then hooked a 50-yarder to the left, the same issue he had with all three missed kicks in the preseason.
He refuses to blame the ailment for the missed shots.
Gay believes he should make a simple tweak to his approach.
“I think I’m hitting the ball good, I think it just needs to start on a different line,” Gay told reporters. “I like how the ball rotates and how it comes off my foot. It’s just a matter of trusting my line and what I see, and hitting it where I want to during the game.”
The Colts need Gay to be as consistent as he has in the past.
For that, he may need to be completely healthy.
