The Detroit Lions had a very successful 2023 campaign, as they managed to go on a run all the way to the NFC Championship Game, where they came up short against the San Francisco 49ers. While the team obviously had a lot of strengths, one of their more pronounced weaknesses throughout the year came at the kicker position.
The Lions started the season off with Riley Patterson at kicker, but his struggles down the stretch of the season caused him to get replaced, and eventually released, in favor of Michael Badgley. Badgley is set to be Detroit's kicker come Week 1, but Detroit is bringing in some competition for him in the form of UFL star kicker Jake Bates, who signed a two-year deal with the team on Saturday morning.
Lions add Jake Bates as competition for Michael Badgley
Bates went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft before latching on with the Houston Texans during training camp. He ended up getting cut only a few days later, so he ended up signing with the Michigan Panthers in the UFL. While it certainly isn't the same competition level as the NFL, Bates' kicking prowess ended up drawing the attention of teams across the league.
In their first game of the season, Bates nailed a game-winning 64-yard field goal, which was the longest in the history of the UFL and its predecessors. Bates went on to nail two more 60-plus yard field goals during the season, and while his accuracy was a bit wayward at times (he finished the season 17-22 on his field goals) his incredible leg strength made him a player several teams were interested in.
Despite receiving interest from a couple of other teams, including the Washington Commanders (who have had their own kicker drama with Brandon McManus) and the Green Bay Packers, Bates opted to stay in Michigan and sign with the Lions. Badgley's grip on the starting job isn't exactly strong, so it's safe to assume that the pair will be battling for the starting job alongside James Turner, who signed with Detroit as an undrafted free agent this offseason.
It's worth noting that Lions head coach Dan Campbell is one of the most aggressive head coaches in the league, so sometimes, he ends up going for it in certain fourth-down situations that many other coaches would send out their field goal team for. After his debacle in the NFC Championship Game when it came to his aggressive playcalling, though, Campbell may be more willing to accept three points than continue to push the needle moving forward.
There will be several position battles on Detroit's roster in training camp, but the kicker position could feature the biggest battle of them all. And if the Lions intend on making it to the Super Bowl after coming up just short last year, it could end up being the most important battle when it comes to determining the success of their upcoming campaign.
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