Former Notre Dame placekicker claimed off waivers by third NFL team

Ex-Notre Dame placekicker Blake Grupe is moving onto the third NFL team of his career.

Grupe was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets, the team announced on Monday. He was placed on waivers by the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday as part of the team’s final roster cuts. The Jets picked up Grupe after they released kicker Jason Sanders and retained him to the practice squad. According to the New York Post, Grupe is anticipated to be the Jets’ new starting kicker.

A Smith-Cotton High School (Mo.) alum, Grupe played in five games for the Colts last season. Grupe was 10-of-10 on extra points and a perfect 11-of-11 on field-goal attempts, including a 60 yarder that became the longest field goal in Colts history. The record was previously held by Dan Miller, who kicked a 58-yard field goal in 1982.

Due to his success, Grupe signed a 1-year, $1.4 million deal with Indy in March, but ultimately did not make the final roster following training camp. In his lone season at Notre Dame in 2022, Grupe was 14-of-19 on field-goal completions and recorded 49 extra points. 

Grupe was origionally signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent following his time in South Bend. He spent 2-plus seasons with the Saints, going 75-of-94 on field-goal completions and 86-of-88 on extra points.

Blake Grupe to the Jets. https://t.co/dItYTWOSGV

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Former Notre Dame placekicker claimed off waivers by third NFL team