ALLEN PARK – Lions kicker Jake Bates isn’t done yet. He’s going to miss kicks this season. He’s going to miss extra point attempts. He’s going to kick a kickoff out of bounds. Mistakes are going to happen.
He also happens to have a golden leg with cross-generational power.
Patience is in short supply in this league and especially in this position, and particularly for contenders. It’s tempting to add a more reliable player to the roster for a Super Bowl run, even if he might be less talented. But in the case of Jake Bates, the Lions are so excited about the upside that they’re willing to remain patient despite the inevitable growing pains ahead.
“I have a great feeling about him,” said special teams coordinator Dave Fipp. “I’m really excited about him. He’s one of the most talented players I know at the position. I think all the guys on the other teams are watching him warm up and thinking, ‘Oh my God, this guy is unbelievable.’ So he’s got a lot of potential. When you invest in a player and give him a chance, you definitely want to do it with a guy who can turn out to be a really good player for you. I think we’re going to have to be patient with him.”
There is precedent here too. Kickers often don’t stick around until their second or third team. One notable example is Daniel Carlson, who was selected in the fifth round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2018. Carlson made the team that year, but missed three of his first four attempts and was released after just two games. In doing so, Minnesota had wasted a draft pick.
Carlson landed with the Raiders this year and subsequently converted 16 of 17 attempts. He was named to the All-Pro second team in 2021, the All-Pro first team the following year, and set the NFL record for most 50-yard field goals made.
“Maybe Minnesota should have not given up on him so quickly and just held on and been patient,” Fipp said.
That means the Lions have been patient with Bates despite some turmoil in training camp and the preseason, including missing a 30-yard field goal in the final preseason game against Pittsburgh.
On the other hand, in his outstanding season in the UFL, he also managed three shots from 60 meters, shot one from 64 meters in training with Detroit, chased one from 53 meters through the rain in a friendly match in New York, one from 55 meters that landed almost halfway up the net in Kansas City and scored a game-winning buzzer beater from 43 meters against the Chiefs.
“You always keep those things in mind,” head coach Dan Campbell said that day in Kansas City. “And then you see what he’s done in the last few weeks, it’s encouraging. Believe me, Fipp and I both know he’s not there yet and there will be more growing pains. We just have to be patient and just let him continue to grow.”
The talent is tremendous, but for a guy who never attempted a field goal in college, the growth curve is inevitable. The Lions are betting on patience at the position and feel good about playing 14 games indoors, which should help a young kicker. The same goes for opting for a long snapper after shooting two in training camp.
“I have a great feeling about Bates,” said Fipp.
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