The Buffalo Bills been forced to make some last-minute changes at kicker this season, first replacing Tyler Bass and then being forced to find a stand-in for his replacement.
The Bills could have one more change coming, holding workouts on Tuesday to see if they can find a replacement for the newly signed Michael Badgley. The Bills face a critical final pair of games, likely needing to win out for a chance of stealing the AFC East from the New England Patriots.
Bills Look for New Kickers
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported on Tuesday that the Bills held workouts with a trio of kickers, making it clear that Badgley’s fill-in job is not safe.
“As the Bills wait for kicker Matt Prater to recover from a quad injury, they considered a few alternatives on Tuesday to current replacement Michael Badgley,” Florio wrote. “The Bills tried out three kickers on Tuesday: Younghoe Koo, Gavin Stewart, and Maddux Trujillo. None were signed.”
Badgley had signed last week after the Bills announced the injury to Prater, kicking a 41-yard field goal that provided the margin of victory in Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Cleveland Browns. But Badgley also missed an extra point and left a kickoff short of the landing zone, giving the Browns good field position on one of their drives.
The 37-year-old Koo is the most accomplished of the group that came to Orchard Park on Tuesday, but has struggled with consistency this season and was released by the New York Giants earlier this month.
Matt Prater’s Status Not Clear
The Bills opted against putting Prater on injured reserve after announcing his injury last week, though the workouts were likely a sign that his status for Sunday’s game against the Eagles is in jeopardy.
As The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia reported on Tuesday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott did leave open the possibility that Prater could play.
“Bills HC Sean McDermott said on K Matt Prater that they don’t know for sure if he’ll be able to play on Sunday. Though McDermott didn’t close the door on it, which is an encouraging sign to his potential availability,” Buscaglia shared in a post on X. “Michael Badgley was the Bills kicker on Sunday vs. the Browns.”
Prater was a last-minute addition himself, signing just days before the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens after an injury to Bass. The Bills have since placed Bass on season-ending injured reserve after he underwent surgery.
Prater came up big in his first game, nailing the game-winning field goal as time expired to cap off a furious comeback against the Ravens. The Bills trailed by 15 points with less than five minutes remaining, but scored three times to secure the win.
The Bills have already clinched a playoff spot with a loss from the Indianapolis Colts on Monday, but they are now fighting for seeding and the slim chance of winning the AFC East. They must win one more game than the Patriots the rest of the way, though New England as an easy path as they face backup quarterbacks with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
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