An injury has knocked one player out of the Detroit Lions’ kicking competition.
Head coach Dan Campbell said kicker Michael Badgley suffered a ‘significant’ injury on Thursday that will land him on injured reserve. He said the injury requires surgery that will require him to miss the 2024 season.
‘I feel awful for Badge, man,’ Campbell said. ‘He worked his tail off to get ready for this season. He was having a good spring and was ready for camp so it’s tough.’
Badgley took over the Lions’ kicking role in Week 15 last year, replacing Riley Patterson, and was 13-of-15 on extra points and 4-of-4 on field goals in the regular season, plus 13-of-13 on extra points and 8-of-9 on field goals in the three postseason games.
The Lions signed former Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates to compete for the starting kicker job in training camp. Bates, who went 21-of-28 on field goals in the UFL including three makes from 60 yards or longer, is the only other signed kicker on the training camp roster currently, but the team is currently planning on bringing in more competition.
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‘We actually just had a workout,’ Campbell said. ‘They brought in some guys just to take a look at and it’s something that Brad and I are talking about now.’
Since Badgley’s injury happened at the beginning of training camp, the Lions have time to find the right option at kicker.
‘We’re not in a hurry either,’ Campbell said. ‘We find the right data that helps us for competition in camp then go do that.’
The focus for Bates the rest of camp will be to put him in game-like situations so he can kick in high-pressure situations. Bates was a revelation in the UFL for his strong leg after not kicking a field goal during college, serving just as a kickoff specialist instead.
‘The only way you are going to know is you just got to put them out there and see how it goes,’ Campbell said. ‘And that’ll come. Right now, he looks pretty good and it’s early, but he does have a big leg. And I like his personality, his aura, he’s got some confidence about him which is nice.’