DET Jake Bates
NFL kicker. Position: K. Team: Detroit Lions.
Quick Facts
- Position: K (Kicker)
- Team: Detroit Lions
2026 Outlook
Bates has secured the starting kicker role for Detroit heading into 2026 after earning the job in the 2025 season. His 4th-round draft status in 2026 reflected high confidence in his stability as a fantasy option. Preseason Week 3 (Aug 29): Bates missed an extra point attempt vs. the Colts, suggesting potential consistency issues worth monitoring as the regular season approaches (per Lions at Indianapolis Colts, NFL preseason: Live updates).
Preseason struggles (Aug 30): Bates finished the Lions' preseason finale inefficiently: he missed two of three extra-point attempts and did not attempt field goals. Combined with a field-goal miss the previous week, this stretch raised concerns about his consistency heading into the regular season. However, coach Dan Campbell expressed full confidence, saying Bates "just pushed them a little bit" and "will be fine." As Detroit's only kicker on the roster, Bates has no competition for the starting role despite the recent misses (per Dan Campbell not worried about his kicker after Jake Bates misses two extra points).
Recent News
- 2026-08-30 — Dan Campbell not worried about his kicker after Jake Bates misses two extra points (Dan Campbell not worried about his kicker after Jake Bates misses two extra points)
- 2026-07-18 — Discusses potential 4-point field goal rule change that could benefit kickers (Should the NFL adopt the UFL's 4-point field goal rule?)