The Indianapolis Colts had two men kick field goals for them in the 2022 season. Both are now vying for the same job in Tampa.
On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed fourth-year kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, who played in one game for the Colts last year and later added two contests with the Arizona Cardinals. Blankenship participated in the team's three-day minicamp this week on a tryout basis. The addition of Blankenship gives the Buccaneers a pair of kickers, as he joins Chase McLaughlin, who signed with the Buccaneers on March 30. After the Colts waived Blankenship last September, they signed McLaughlin and he handled their kicking duties for the final 16 games. The Buccaneers waived first-year kicker Jake Verity last week.
McLaughlin and Blankenship will compete to replace veteran kicker Ryan Succop, who was released in March after three seasons with the Buccaneers.
Blankenship first entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Indianapolis in 2020. He and McLaughlin competed to replace veteran Adam Vinatieri in training camp that summer, with Blankenship getting the nod. As a rookie, he connected on 32 of 37 field goal tries, including 31 of 35 inside 50 yards, and 43 of 45 extra point attempts. He retained his job with the Colts in 2021 but landed on injured reserve in October after making 11 of 14 field goal attempts and seven of eight PATs.
Blankenship once again won the Colts' job to start last season, coincidentally beating out Verity. However, he was released after a two-for-three performance in the season opener. In his two games for the Cardinals he made both field goal tries and two of three extra points.
Blankenship played his college ball at Georgia. The Buccaneers' punter, second-year man Jake Camarda, is also a former Bulldog.
