As the first days of training camp practice for the Detroit Lions go on, the kicker competition they had does not exist anymore. Michael Badgley suffered what has been reported to be a torn hamstring while getting ready for Thursday's practice, and he will be out for the season after surgery.
That leaves Jake Bates as the only healthy kicker on the Lions' roster, for now anyway. He took advantage of the opportunity on Thursday, making all six of his field goal attempts as he was the only one to do any kicking during practice. Now we know why Badgley did not do any kicking.
Head coach Dan Campbell said some kickers have already been in for a workout, but "we're not in a hurry" to sign someone. He of course did not name who those kickers were.
Bates still has a lot to prove. Before kicking for the Panthers in the UFL, he had not kicked a field goal since high school. Campbell noted, via Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News, how they'll do the best they can to put Bates in pressure situations during camp, but he likes what he sees so far.
"The only way you’re going to know is you got to put him out there and you gotta see how he does, and that’ll come,” Campbell said. “Right now, he looks pretty good, and it’s early, but he has a big leg and I like his personality, his aura. I mean, he’s got some confidence about him, which is nice. He seems pretty consistent about the way he goes about his business, kind of the same guy every day, which I appreciate."
Who the Lions end up signing to replace Badgley will say everything about the level of competition Bates will face for the job. There aren't a ton of options out there at this point, so the current timing, well before other teams make many roster cuts, isn't ideal in that regard.
Update: According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson on Friday afternoon, the Lions worked out kickers Matt Ammendola, Lucas Havrisik, Matthew McCrane and Andre Szmyt. One of those (Szmyt) was already known based on other reports.
#Lions worked out kickers Matt Ammendola, Lucas Havrisik, Matthew McCrane and Andre Szmyt
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) July 26, 2024
Let's take a look at five kickers, including someone? they've had in for a workout within hours of the injury news?, the Lions could bring in to replace Badgley.
5 kickers the Lions could sign to replace Michael Badgley
5. Mason Crosby
In hindsight, the Packers might regret not bringing Crosby back for at least one more year last year. He remained available well into last season though, passing through the Los Angeles Rams in December before kicking the final three games for the New York Giants (6-for-7 on extra points, 5-for-7 on field goals).
Crosby's long-range field goal volume has naturally dropped as he has gotten older, but unless Dan Campbell makes a dramatic shift in philosophy that probably won't matter in terms of appeal to the Lions as an option to at least come in to camp. In comparison to another older kicker who's out there (Ryan Succop), Crosby was at least on a roster and kicked last season.