DETROIT — One of the UFL’s best stories is set to join one of the NFL’s best teams, and the pair is a match made in football heaven.
The Detroit Lions signed former Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates to a two-year, $1.98 million contract that includes $150,000 guaranteed and a $100,000 signing bonus, with the deal official as of Tuesday morning. One of the most sought-after talents in the UFL is off the market. Bates could be the answer to the Lions’ revolving door at the position, and the story of how he got here is as impressive as the leg strength that made him a household name this offseason.
#Lions have signed K Jake Bates and waived K James Turner.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) June 18, 2024
Long before his booming kicks went viral each week, Bates got his start kicking for the Tomball High School football team. Football is king in Texas, but it wasn’t part of Bates’ original plan — nor was it his best sport then. That would be soccer. As a senior, Bates committed to Central Arkansas on a soccer scholarship, following in the footsteps of his older brother Jordan.
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After two seasons of collegiate soccer, though, Bates set his sights on a return to football, an improbable task for a kicker who never made a field goal in high school. But Bates’ itch would lead him to stints at Texas State and, later, Arkansas, serving as a kickoff specialist.
It’s not uncommon for schools to have specialized kickers, but Arkansas was willing to have Bates join as a walk-on despite having one of the best kickers in the country in Cam Little — a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft — spoke to his ability. Kickoff specialists are known for legs, and Bates ranked fourth nationally in yards per kickoff (64.47 yards), third in touchbacks (64), and first in touchback percentage (85.3). He never attempted a field goal at either stint, but he did earn first-team All-SEC honors as a kickoff specialist in his lone year in Fayetteville. And recovered this nifty onside kick.
ONSIDE KICK RECOVERED BY THE KICKER!
Jake Bates executes it to PERFECTION. pic.twitter.com/D1m3qA39Bp
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 1, 2022
A cup of tea with the Houston Texans last preseason paved the way for an opportunity in the newly formed UFL last season with the Michigan Panthers, who play their home games at Ford Field.
Foreshadowing would be an understatement.
It didn’t take long for Bates to make a name for himself in his new home of Detroit. On March 30, the Panthers opened the season against the St. Louis Battlehawks. The Panthers trailed 16-15 with just eight seconds remaining after a drive without much momentum. They called on Bates to win the game. Except, this was no easy make. The ball was placed on the St. Louis 46-yard line. That made for a 64-yard field goal. The Ford Field record? That would be 66 yards, courtesy of Ravens’ kicker Justin Tucker.
It was Bates’ first field goal attempt in a game since high school. In fact, he never even made a field goal in high school.
You wouldn’t know it.
64 YARDS FOR THE WIN 😱
JAKE BATES WITH A BOOT FOR @USFLPANTHERS pic.twitter.com/nx25x1PEIK
— United Football League (@TheUFL) March 30, 2024
Good from 64 yards with room to spare, on his second attempt after the Battlehawks tried to ice him, this was the moment Detroit learned Bates’ name. Mobbed and lifted by his teammates on the field, the celebration continued in the locker room after the game. And the ball that soared through the uprights? It’s now in Canton, Ohio, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
JAKE THE MF GREAT 🦵🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/I0S67SHadR
— Michigan Panthers (@USFLPanthers) March 31, 2024
And just like that, as Fox play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler said following the make, “A star is born in the UFL.”
Of course, one moment was never going to be enough to earn the NFL look he wanted. But Bates was far from a one-kick wonder. His legend continued to grow.
The following week, Bates was good from 52 and 62. In Week 3, he hit from 46 and 55. His first five attempts of the season were all good, all inside the building the Lions call home. A few weeks later, Bates went 5-of-5 with makes from 30, 43, 60, 29 and one from 43, with the Panthers trailing 27-25, to win the game as time expired.
JAKE BATES FOR THE WIN 🔥
THE @USFLPANTHERS WALK IT OFF 😱 pic.twitter.com/PKseatmPvy
— United Football League (@TheUFL) May 5, 2024
It was a remarkable season for Bates, who made 17 of his 22 attempts in the regular season and finished 21 of 28 overall. Of his seven misses, five were from 50 or more yards out (51, 51, 53, 58, 62). Bates was 14 of 16 on attempts under 50 yards, with misses from 39 and 44 (blocked). He connected from 51, 52, 53, 55, 60, 62 and 64 yards on the season. Bates was 7 of 12 from 50-plus and 3 of 4 from 60-plus. He was 11 of 12 on indoor kicks with a miss from 51 and 10 of 16 on outdoor attempts with misses from 39, 44 (blocked), 51, 53, 58 and 62.
His range is his calling card, and it could be what lands him a full-time gig in the NFL.
When we said @jakebates30 makes 70 yarders in practice… we meant it 😮💨🔥🙌 pic.twitter.com/XhVCfeMuGe
— Michigan Panthers (@USFLPanthers) May 22, 2024
Along the way, you couldn’t help but wonder if Bates would ultimately remain in Detroit. The Lions have been looking for an answer at kicker since Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes arrived, even though they’ve done well without one. Campbell is the NFL’s most aggressive coach, going for it on fourth down a league-leading 32.1 percent of the time since he took over in 2021, per TruMedia. For reference, the league average during that span was 19.8 percent. Those aggressive tendencies from Campbell have led to a league-leading decision EPA of 35.6 since 2021, per TruMedia. Still, they’ve also been the source of national criticism, most notably after Detroit’s NFC Championship loss to the San Francisco 49ers last January.
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While going for it is part of Campbell’s coaching DNA and something his players love about him, you also have to wonder how much of this philosophy has been out of necessity. He hasn’t had a kicker he could trust from long-range to take the points on a more regular basis. Michael Badgley, Detroit’s starting kicker for the better part of the last two seasons, has made just 38.5 percent of his attempts from 50 or more yards since he entered the league in 2018. That ranks 54th out of 56 kickers (min. 20 field goal attempts) during that span. Some of it is circ*mstance, but Badgley attempted just one outdoor field goal and one from 50 or more yards across seven regular season and playoff games last season.
Campbell won’t drastically alter his identity, but theoretically, a kicker with Bates’ range could make life easier and present Campbell with an option capable of connecting if needed.
Perhaps that’s why the Lions moved quickly to sign Bates, a hot commodity when the Panthers’ season ended in the playoffs. Bates visited with the Lions earlier this month, in addition to the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers with a few other teams also showing interest. Bates’ agent, Marty Magid of MRM Sports, calls him “the weapon” and said the Lions checked every box Bates was looking for from a potential suitor. Bates enjoyed his time in Detroit this spring, and the chance to keep kicking at Ford Field was a plus. Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp helped develop Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, one of the league’s best. Magid also represents Lions RB Craig Reynolds, so he’s familiar with the team and the opportunities it gives players to compete. And it doesn’t hurt that the Lions have the look of a Super Bowl contender.
What many in Detroit hoped is now a reality: Bates is a Lion. The job isn’t guaranteed, especially with a solid NFL kicker like Badgley still in town. The Lions have entered training camp with two kickers in recent years, and the battle between Badgley and Bates should make for the most intriguing competition to date. And it’s nothing Bates isn’t used to. He’s had to convince coaches he’s worthy of their attention since his pivot back to football years ago.
Bates’ story is fascinating but not necessarily new. The UFL provides players like Bates a look they weren’t previously getting, and the blueprint might’ve been laid out a year ago. That’s when the Dallas Cowboys signed USFL kicker Brandon Aubrey, a former collegiate and pro soccer player who went 14 of 15 on field goal attempts and 35 of 35 on extra points last season for the Birmingham Stallions. Aubrey won the job out of training camp, went 36 of 38 with a long of 60 last season and earned first-team All-Pro honors.
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The Lions would love nothing more than for Bates to emerge similarly ahead of a season with Super Bowl aspirations. In turn, Bates gets a chance to compete for a full-time job as an NFL kicker in the stadium he starred in last season.
From never making a kick in high school to potentially being named the starting kicker for one of the NFL’s best teams, Bates’ story is worth chronicling. We’ll see if it has a fairy-tale ending.
(Photo: Matthew Stockman / UFL / Getty Images)
Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions. He previously covered Michigan State football and basketball for the company, and covered sports for The Tennessean in Nashville prior to joining The Athletic. Follow Colton on Twitter @colton_pouncy
