Getty Bills kicker Tyler Bass at Highmark Stadium on January 21, 2024.
The Buffalo Bills stood by kicker Tyler Bass after some late-season stumbles, but a new report suggests that he continues to struggle as the team came together for offseason practices.
Bass connected on just 82.8% of his field goals last season, just above the career-low set in his rookie season. His struggles were amplified by some of the more high-profile misses, including a kick that sailed wide right in the closing minutes of the team’s divisional-round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Reporter Alex Brasky of the Batavia Daily News noted that Bass was still having difficulties, missing a series of kicks from all distances at the team’s June 12 practice.
‘Ugly’ Misses for Tyler Bass
Brasky noted that Bass went 3-for-7 on kicks at Wednesday’s practice, including two misses from inside 40 yards.
“An ugly session for Tyler Bass at #Bills Wednesday minicamp, as he missed his first 3 kicks from 45, 35, 35,” Brasky wrote. “Then made from 50, missed from 45 and made from 50. Later on, he went 1-for-2 on kicks from 50. Bass finished with a disappointing 83% field goal percentage last season”
There had already been some growing concern for Bass leading up to this week’s struggles at practice. In a mailbag column published on June 1, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News noted that there was “cause for concern” given his performance last season and suggested that the Bills could bring in competition for the kicking job at training camp.
Skurski noted that the Bills would have a financial incentive to keep Bass, with his contract counting $4.42 million against the 2024 salary cap with only $100,000 in cap savings if he were released.
“Financially, the best-case scenario for the Bills is Bass bounces back to the form he showed in 2021 and 2022, when he made more than 87% of his field-goal attempts in both seasons,” Skurski wrote.
Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic noted that the last memory fans have of Bass is the missed kick, and he could face pressure to turn things around in 2024.
“That strong leg is what compelled the Bills to signed him to a four-year contract extension last offseason,” Fairburn wrote. “But he needs to find his rhythm after an uneven season in 2023.”
Bills head coach Sean McDermott stood by Bass after the season-ending loss, saying he believed the veteran kicker would turn things around for next season.
“I am confident on Tyler. I’ll start there and end there. But in between those two…yes, there are kicks we need to make,” McDermott said, via reporter Jori Epstein on X. “I’m very confident he’s going to do what’s necessary this offseason to (get) right.”
Bills Making Other Moves on Special Teams
The Bills could be headed to another big change on special teams. NYup.com’s Matt Parrino predicted that undrafted free agent punter Jack Browning could take over starting duties and push veteran Sam Martin off the roster.
Martin had signed a three-year, $6 million contract and remains under contract through the next two seasons, but Parrino noted that the Bills “like athletic punters” with good control and power, and Browning fits the bill.
“Here’s a bit of a curveball,” Parrino wrote in his early prediction of the team’s final 53-man roster. “The Bills haven’t even made their undrafted free agent class official yet, but they’re expected to sign San Diego State punter Jack Browning. A quick YouTube search yields positive reviews on Browning, who will enter an important competition at punter this summer.”