The Detroit Lions are bringing in more competition at the kicker position, with the team reportedly signing UFL star and Michigan Panthers kicker, Jake Bates.
The signing was first reported by Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com, and ESPN's Adam Schefter adds that the Lions are inking Bates to a two-year deal, although the financial terms have yet to be disclosed.
While the Lions giving Bates a multi-year deal is notable, it hardly means he's going to be locked-in as Detroit's kicker upon joining the team. The real important detail will be the amount of guaranteed money, which doesn't figure to be substantial, if there's any at all. That will tell us just how committed Detroit is to Bates.
Bates himself is an example of a multi-year deal not meaning much. Back in 2023, he signed a three-year, $2.6 million with the Houston Texans that didn't have any guaranteed money, per Spotrac. However, the Texans ended up cutting Bates in August.
The truth is, Bates is simply being brought in to add to the competition in Detroit that currently consists of UDFA James Turner and veteran Michael Badgley. He has as good a shot to win the job as those two.
Now, none of this is to say that Bates isn't an interesting addition. After all, he made several long kicks for the Panthers this season, with a total of seven coming from 50-plus, and three of those came from 60-plus, including a 64-yarder that was the second-longest make in Ford Field history.
But his season wasn't without struggles. After a hot start, Bates missed 5-of-11 kicks over his final four games (including playoffs) and finished 21-of-28 overall, which comes out to a 75% success rate, a mark that would've ranked tied for 32nd in the NFL last season.
Bates certainly has the big leg the Lions are looking for, but he has to prove he can consistently make his kicks if he wants to become the starter. He'll look to do that next month in training camp.
