Jake Bates of UFL rejects contract with the Lions saying the terms ware not Accurately…see more
The Detroit Lions may have lost the NFC title game the previous season due to Dan Campbell’s lack of faith in his kicker. The team hopes that one of the UFL’s breakout stars this year can help with that problem.
Kicker Jake Bates of the Michigan Panthers inked a two-year deal with the Lions. Bates’ agent visited the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers before letting ESPN’s Adam Schefter know about the contract. Aaron Wilson of Houston’s KPRC-TV broke the first story about Bates moving to Detroit.
Throughout the season, Bates, 24, made field goals for the Panthers from 64 and 62 yards out. The only NFL kicker to score a 62-yarder in a Week 3 victory over the Dallas Cowboys was Matt Prater of the Arizona Cardinals. (James Tucker, a kicker for the Baltimore Ravens, set an NFL record in 2021 against the Lions with a 66-yard field goal.)
Last year, Bates signed free-agent contracts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Houston Texans; however, he was cut by both organizations.
Two times in the second half of the NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Jason Campbell chose to go for it on fourth down instead of letting kicker Michael Badgely try field goals of 46 and 48 yards. Detroit failed on both of its attempts to score, and a 34–31 loss may have resulted from passing on a potential six points.
With Badgely and rookie free agent James Turner, the Lions already had two kickers on their roster. Badgely made 13 of 15 extra point attempts and was 4 for 4 on field goals; his longest attempt came from 41 yards. After Riley Patterson was cut after 13 games, he signed with Detroit.
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