The Detroit Lions, who are now in the full swing of Training Camp as preparations for the upcoming 2026 NFL season continue, are set at the kicker position thanks to the solid performance of Jake Bates.
Bates, who is entering his third NFL season with the Lions, is already making another strong impression upon the club in the early goings of Training Camp.
Detroit Lions Kicker Jake Bates Would Have Matched NFL History In Game Action
During a recent practice session at the Lions training facility in Allen Park, Bates nailed a field goal from 68 yards, which would have matched an NFL record had it been during a game.
Bates, who once suited up for the UFL’s Michigan Panthers, joined the Lions prior to the 2024 NFL season.
In what was his first NFL campaign, Bates came through in the clutch on more than one occasion. He sealed wins over the divisional rival Minnesota Vikings with a 44-yard game-winning kick in Week 7 and the Green Bay Packers with another late field goal in Week 14, the latter of which helped Detroit lock up a playoff berth.
Against the Houston Texans in Week 10, Bates nailed a 58-yard field goal to tie the game before completing the 52-yard winner in a 26-23 victory. His only missed field goal of the season came from 45 yards on Thanksgiving against the Chicago Bears, but he finished the year on a high note by breaking former team icon Jason Hanson’s franchise single-season scoring record in Week 17, setting a new Lions standard for points in a season.
But last season, he wasn’t quite as efficient, successfully hitting just 27 of 34 field goal attempts. Five of the seven field goals he missed were from over 50 yards away, though he did hit all 14 attempts from 39 yards or fewer.
The Lions saw fit to re-sign him to a one-year, $1.075 million deal.
Lions Coach Dan Campbell Wants Improvement In Several Areas
It’s a fine line between success and failure in the NFL, and the Lions experienced that reality last season when they finished with a 9-8 record, but just finished outside of the playoffs.
A different outcome here and there would have made a world of difference for the Lions last season, and head coach Dan Campbell wants the club to specifically improve in three areas of the game.
“I want to know that we can run the football, I want to know we can stop the run, and I want to know that we’re ready for situational football,” Campbell said Thursday. “Probably those three things, if you want me to feel comfortable. The other stuff will come, ‘Ah man, we’re a little off on red zone, third down.’ Those are always a work in progress, game-plan specific.
“But man, you better be able to run the football, stop the run, and situational football — end of half, end of game —(so) that you feel comfortable and that you can function at a high level. So, those, which is why we’ll do a bunch of that, especially when we get in pads.”
The Lions begin fully padded practices on Monday.
Lions Kicker Jake Bates Matches NFL Record During Practice