The Indianapolis Colts released veteran punter Jeff Locke on Monday, likely turning the job over to undrafted rookie Rigoberto Sanchez.
The team signed Locke, an unrestricted free agent, in March to a two-year contract with $1.25 guaranteed as a replacement for Pat McAfee, who announced his retirement in February.
Locke, 27, played in 64 games over the last four seasons (2013-16) for the Minnesota Vikings, with a career average of 43.2 yards per punt (38.7 net). He recorded 101 punts inside the 20-yard line for the Vikings, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2013. Locke's 11 preseason punts averaged 43.5 yards.
The 22-year-old Sanchez, who was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Hawaii, has punted 10 times this preseason for the Colts, averaging 47.2 yards. He punted twice in Saturday night's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, averaging 51.5 yards.
