There were a number of kickers in the 2024 UFL season who really stood out for their ability to boot field goals in yardage ranging from the high 50s and low 60s. As you might expect, one such kicker is getting another look from the NFL.
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, four NFL teams have put in requests for Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates to visit them. Those four teams are the Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens.
“#Commanders #Packers #Lions #Ravens have requested to host @USFLPanthers all-conference kicker Jake Bates for visits, per a league source. It’s a competitive situation for strong-legged kicker, a former #Texans preseason roster member and @TomballISD graduate @RazorbackFB @KPRC2,” Wilson wrote.
Bates earned All-UFL Team honors after a stellar first year in the league. He went 17 of 22 on field goals but went viral by successfully kicking a 64-yard field goal in a game. Such a kick would have been tied for the second-longest in NFL history.
The 64-yarder wouldn’t be the only big kick of Bates’ season though. He also had successful field goals of 60 and 62 yards during the 2024 campaign.
Bates earned First-Team All-SEC honors while kicking for the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2022, but only earned an invitation to training camp with the Houston Texans and was released in mid-August last year.
Will Bates finally get a starting kicking job in the NFL?