Sean McDermott will begin the 2025 season without one of his longest-tenured starters. The Buffalo Bills placed kicker Tyler Bass on injured reserve ahead of their Week 1 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.
After struggling with injuries throughout the offseason, Bass was officially placed on injured reserve on Friday, the team announced on social media. The designation rules him out for at least the first four games, making his first chance to return in Week 5 against the New England Patriots.
🚨 The Bills have placed kicker Tyler Bass on IR, meaning he’s out a minimum of 4 games to start the 2025 season, the team has announced. pic.twitter.com/MlK91hb4eR
— NFL on ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsNFL) September 5, 2025
The Bills do not currently have another kicker on their roster, with just two days remaining until their season opener against the Ravens. Buffalo had rookie Caden Davis on its preseason roster before releasing him during final roster cuts.
Bass, who is coming off an up-and-down 2024 season, dealt with nagging injuries throughout the summer. His issues caused the team to sign Davis, but they were not deemed serious enough for Buffalo to release the rookie during roster cuts.
Davis is a potential option, but not the only one. Austin Seibert, Eddy Pineiro, Matt Prater, Cade York, and Zane Gonzalez are all still on the market. Seibert was among the league's most accurate kickers in 2024, hitting 90 percent of his field goals with the Washington Commanders.
Bills preparing for big Week 1 matchup with Ravens
Although the Bills claimed their fifth consecutive AFC East title in 2024, they fell in the playoffs yet again. Buffalo suffered another season-ending loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, marking the fourth time in the last five years their season ended at the hands of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
Most of the attention of the game will be on the quarterback matchup between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. However, the Bills' hobbled defense has slowly become a storyline.
In addition to Bass, the Bills will be without defensive linemen Larry Ogunjobi, Michael Hoecht and Dewayne Carter. Carter joins Bass on IR with an Achilles injury, while Ogunjobi and Hoecht were slapped with suspensions in the offseason.
Buffalo is also preparing to be without cornerback Tre'Davious White, who is doubtful for the contest. The Bills already have first-round rookie Maxwell Hairston on injured reserve, potentially leaving them without two key members of their secondary.
