By virtually any measure, including the KVA (Kicker Value Added) metric from our own Adam Fromal, Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates had a pretty rough 2025 season. He missed seven field goals (five from 50-plus yards out, to be fair), as he was one of three kickers in the league to make less than 80 percent of his kicks on 28 or more attempts, along with two extra points.
While Bates is scheduled to only be a restricted free agent next March, he can line himself for a nice multi-year contract if he can rebound back to his 2024 form this season.
Bates talked to Lions' special teams coordinator Dave Fipp about making a change in his game last season. He began working on it as soon as the season ended, using the indoor practice facility at Eastern Michigan to perfect the new routine before gathering with his special teams battery mates in California for private workouts with former NFL kicker Nick Novak.
"I've always been far from the ball, and I think the thing that made me want to switch was I felt like a couple misses last year were kind of because of timing and I felt like I needed to rush," Bates told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "It’s a whole thing, but I felt like shortening up was something that I could do to help that timing mechanism in my head, not feel rushed, and hopefully it works."
"It was just a lot of tinkering where I felt comfortable", Bates said."Being short was a little foreign, so I had to find where I got comfortable, and then once I felt like I could get comfortable here, there's going to be days that are tough because I'm trying some new stuff."
The new approach appears to be working, as Bates has generally had a strong training camp.
A little thing could make a huge difference for Jake Bates
Per Birkett, Bates' old starting stance was a little over four yards from the ball on placekicks, one of the furthest distances in the league. Now, he's a little over three yards from where the ball is placed by holder Jack Fox.
It's a generally imperceptible difference, due to the angle. Bates' number of steps hasn't even changed, he just starts with a shorter jab step now.
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Bates also said he's also gotten more comfortable with knowing he can "power down" on certain feld goal attempts and "swing smooth and be good from most distances" because he has one of the strongest legs in the NFL.
While Bates missed kicks only really cost the Lions one potential win last season, he knows his assignment as he eyes a rebound along with the entire team.
"When you're on a team that's so good and has aspirations so high, I want to be the kicker this team deserves. And that's being one of the best in the league. So I want to show up for my teammates (and) for the coaches every time they call upon me."
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