For the third year in a row, Rodrigo Blankenship will be competing for the starting kicker role with the Indianapolis Colts.

Blankenship has won the job the two years prior but his 2021 season was cut short due to a hip injury he suffered in Week 5 before the prime-time game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Following Wednesday’s OTA practice session, head coach Frank Reich gave an update on the competition at kicker, stating it’s Blakenship’s job to lose.

“Rod (Rodrigo Blankenship) was our kicker last year so in my mind, it’s Rod’s to – but it’s an open competition. We’re going in like at every position, really,” Reich told the media. “There are guys who are on the depth chart – I would say Rod would be on the depth chart as the ‘No. 1 kicker’ right now, but is it a competition? Yes. Is it a competition at every position? Yes. We all understand what that means and what it doesn’t mean, but it will be a competition. We certainly respect what Rod has done since he’s been here.”

Blankenship is likely to be competing with Jake Verity, who was signed to a futures contract earlier in the offseason. Unless the Colts add another veteran to the mix, which is always possible, it will be those two competing for the job.

Michael Badgley, who filled in for Blankenship during his absence in 2021, is still currently a free agent.

In 21 career games with the Colts, Blankenship has converted 43 of 51 field-goal attempts (84.3%) and 50 of 53 extra-point attempts (94.3%). Six of his eight missed field-goal attempts have come from 40 yards or more.

There will be plenty of competition during training camp, but it appears this will be Blankenship’s job to lose again in 2022.

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