Entering the offseason, there was no shortage of Detroit Lions fans who weren't thrilled with the idea of going into the 2024 season with Michael Badgley as the team's kicker, which is part of the reason why fans have been yearning for UFL kicker Jake Bates.
But another kicker has entered the chat this offseason in the form of undrafted free agent and former Michigan Wolverines kicker, James Turner, who is also a hometown kid.
On Wednesday, Turner outdid his veteran counterpart in practice, with the rookie making kicks from 56, 55, 54, 52, 34 and 33 yards, according to Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit.
Meanwhile, Badgley made four of those same six attempts, with his misses coming from 56 and 55 yards, which won't help dispel the idea that, despite what coaches say, Badgley doesn't have a big enough leg, something that has always been a problem for him.
Granted, Turner never made a field goal beyond 50 yards during his college career, but clearly he's got the leg for longer attempts, albeit he hasn't shown he can do it under pressure in an actual game.
And therein lies the problem with Turner and why he won't simply wrap this job up over the spring. The Lions will have to see him get it done during training camp, and more importantly, in the preseason when pressure is actually a thing in front of a stadium full of people.
Wednesday's practice wasn't the first time Turner has outperformed the veteran kicker, so we aren't just hyping him up after one good practice. During the previous open session of OTAs, Turner nailed attempts from 52 and 54 during a situational period, but Badgley missed both of his.
Turner's emergence, combined with the fact that Bates has cooled off after a legendary start to the season, might lead to the Lions thinking twice about trying to add the UFL kicker. However, when it comes to the kicker competition in Detroit, the more the merrier.
