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The Detroit Lions will have a new kicker for the 2023 season.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on July 20 that the Lions have released kicker Michael Badgley.
A surprise: The #Lions are releasing kicker Michael Badgley, per source.
The Lions acquired wide receiver Denzel Mims in a trade involving only 2025 Day 3 draft picks on July 19. So, Detroit needed to open a roster spot for Mims.
The release of Badgley creates that spot for Mims. Letting go of the veteran kicker also cleared $742,500 in cap space for the Lions.
Even without Badgley, Detroit will enter training camp with two kickers on the roster.
Lions Release Kicker Michael Badgley
As Pelissero noted, the Lions releasing Badgley comes as a surprise. Although Detroit was set to enter training camp with three kickers on the roster, Badgley was the most experienced of the group and performed well for the Lions last season.
Detroit re-signed Badgley to a new contract on March 20.
But by May, it was clear Badgley was going to have to compete for his job this summer. NFL reporter Aaron Wilson tweeted on May 15 that the Lions signed XFL standout kicker John Parker Romo after a veteran tryout during rookie minicamp.
On May 25, the Lions also traded for Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson.
Those two acquisitions made Badgley expendable. With Mims arriving without losing another player, the Lions exercised the option of potentially letting go of Badgley.
Badgley made 83.3% of his field goals in 12 games with the Lions last season. That percentage included an 10-for-13 mark from 40 yards or longer.
In 60 career NFL games, Badgley has made 81.7% of his field goals and 96.9% of his extra points. He spent his first three seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. In addition to the Lions, he’s also kicked for the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears.
Riley Patterson, John Parker Romo to Compete for Lions Kicker Spot
While the Lions are losing Badgley, they are arguably just as familiar with Patterson. He kicked for Detroit as a rookie in 2021, making 92.9% of his field goals in seven games. He made 85.7% of his field goal attempts last season in Jacksonville.
In two NFL seasons, Patterson owns an 87.8% field-goal percentage. That’s more than six points higher than Badgley’s career percentage.
Furthermore, Patterson has made a slightly higher percentage of his field goals from 40 yards or longer than Badgley has over the past two years.
However, Patterson is not a lock to be Detroit’s kicker. Romo has never kicked in the NFL, but he was the XFL’s most accurate kicker this past season. He made the All-XFL Team with an 89.4% field goal percentage.
Romo made 17 of his 19 kicks, including a long of 57 yards.
Very important XFL note: The record for longest field goal in the history of the Seahawks’ stadium doesn’t belong to an NFL kicker, it belongs to the XFL’s John Parker Romo (@Romo_HKA), who drilled a 57-yarder for the @XFLBrahmas over the weekend.
Romo kicked at Central Arkansas and Tulsa before transferring to Virginia Tech during his college career. He went 18-for-22 and made all 34 of his extra points as a senior with the Hokies in 2021.
Prior to that, Romo served as a kickoff specialist because of his strong leg. He received the opportunity to be Virginia Tech’s placekicker during his extra year of eligibility due to COVID.
“The additional year of eligibility was a blessing for me. It allowed me to be the field goal and kickoff starter from the beginning of the season to the end,” Romo told The Gridiron Crew. “It was my only season to show my capabilities as the starting kicker.
“I didn’t have the start to the season that I had hoped for, but I am grateful for my coaches and teammates by continuing to believe in me and finishing the season as an All-ACC kicker.”
Without Badgley on the roster, Patterson and Romo will now compete in training camp for the Detroit kicker job.
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Lions Make Final Decision on Kicker Michael Badgley