Getty Bills kicker Tyler Bass celebrates after kicking the game winning field goal against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium on December 17, 2022.
The Buffalo Bills made one last big move ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, securing kicker Tyler Bass to a four-year, $21 million extension. The 26-year-old officially inked the deal on Friday, April 21, and his longtime girlfriend, Ryan Tuten, celebrated Bass becoming the fourth highest-paid kicker in the entire league with a heartfelt message on Instagram.
Tuten, who’s been dating Bass since 2019, shared a photo of the couple at his contract signing and wrote, “10 year old you would be screaming right now @tbass_xvi !! You’ve worked so hard to get here & are so deserving of this moment! I am so proud of you & lucky to be with you through this journey ❤️ Go Bills.”
The kicker’s girlfriend also shared a hilarious message on her Instagram Story. She posted a photo of Bass signing his new deal and wrote, “Screaming. Crying. Throwing Up. Proud is an understatement. Getting a front row seat to watch your dreams come true is the coolest thing.”
When the couple first met at Georgia Southern, she was already familiar with a football player’s lifestyle. Tuten’s father, Rick, was a Pro Bowl punter who spent 11 years in the NFL and won a Super Bowl ring as a member of the St. Louis Rams in 1999, per the former college volleyball player’s student profile.
Tuten, 25, is easily Bass’ biggest cheerleader and has been a regular at games since the Bills drafted him in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Her celebratory post received a lot of love from fellow Bills’ wives and girlfriends. Caitlin Morse commented on Instagram, “LOVE THIS!! 👏👏👏,” while Brittany Barkley cheered, “LETS GOOOOOOO.” Hayley Beane wrote, “Wooohooo! Let’s Go!”
Tyler Bass Called the Decision to Re-Sign With the Bills a ‘No Brainer’
Signed K Tyler Bass to a four year contract extension, through the 2027 season.
While speaking to reporters on Friday, Bass said it felt “unreal” to sign such a major extension, per the Bills website. “It’s unbelievable. You obviously dream about it as a kid, but it’s hard to see as the kid, like, looking up now, `Holy cow, this is unbelievable.’ The little kid in me is jumping up with joy, for sure.”
The former walk-on from Georgia Southern, who drilled three game-winning field goals last season, also said agreeing to stay in Buffalo was one of the easiest decisions of his career. “The relationships I have here I’m going to have for the rest of my life,” he said. “So for me, it was a no-brainer. I love it here. I want to be here. I know it’s challenging, but I’m excited for the challenge.”
Bass also said the pay raise will not affect his dedication to the game. “I’m still gonna grind if anything I’m gonna grind even more now,” he noted, per New York Upstate. “It’s just a little bit relieving, you have a little bit of security. But at the end of the day, you still got to work.”
Tyler Bass Adjusted His Kicking Style After Landing in Buffalo
The Buffalo Bills just signed kicker Tyler Bass to a four year extension.
Guess we are going to get to see more kicks like this in the future!
While it’s definitely more challenging for a kicker to succeed in an open-air stadium and in a city like Buffalo, where winter weather can be quite brutal, Bass happily embraced the challenge.
“I’ve grown a ton. I would say starting off just with my simple steps,” he explained. “I’ve had to modify them to where now they’re almost exact every time but that was a big thing. And another big thing is just mentally, focusing on the process and not worrying about the outcomes.”
The hard work has definitely paid off. During the 2022 NFL season, Bass made 48 of 50 extra point scores and nailed 27 of 31 field goal attempts, per Pro Football Reference. In his three years in Buffalo, Bass has made 85.6% of field goal attempts (83 of 97) and 97.5% of extra point attempts (156 of 160).