For the better part of the Brad Holmes-Dan Campbell regime, the Detroit Lions have had a kicker carousel that has rarely slowed down very much. Circumstance has driven that to a large degree, picking from a tier of non-elite options, but patience was in short supply too.
Before he had his first field goal attempt for the Michigan Panthers in the UFL this spring, Jake Bates had not kicked a field goal since high school. Making some long kicks for the UFL team that calls Ford Field home had Lions' fans clamoring for him, but as the league's season went along his star faded some.
Still, the Lions took a worthy flier on Bates when the UFL season was over. His chances to beat out Michael Badgley were to be determined, but he'd get a shot.
Badgley's season-ending injury early in camp left Bates as the only kicker on the Lions' roster. An immediate kicker workout after Badgley's injury did not yield a signing, which proved telling.
Bates went through some ups and downs, however expected, during training camp and preseason games. Head coach Dan Campbell said Bates was told "we're sticking with you" after some struggles in an early team scrimmage, and special teams coach Dave Fipp had an easy explanation for why a second kicker wasn't added.
Bates was given leash to have struggles without fear of being cut, and he would say a lot with how he responded to adversity. He passed that latter test.
Patience will remain the word for the Lions with Jake Bates
As games start to matter now, it's unclear if Bates will be given the same long leash he has had. A costly miss early in the season will instantly invite speculation about his job security, and there would be subsequent questions to Campbell about his kicker.
All three Lions' coordinators spoke to the media on Thursday. Fipp talked about Bates, with no sign there's any change in plan coming.
"I feel great about him. I’m really excited about him," Fipp said. "He’s one of the most talented players I’ve been around at that position. I think all the guys on the other teams in the preseason watch him warm up and are like, ‘Oh my gosh. This guy’s incredible."
"I think we’ve got to be patient with him. At that position, there’s a lot of history that says a bunch of those guys end up making it on their second team or their third team."
Fipp acknowledged Bates has to "do his part" and "make enough kicks and do a good enough job to stick around", and there are limits to being patient.
"Patient doesn’t mean you’re missing a million kicks. Patient means you miss a kick here and there, that’s going to happen.”
The Lions were patient with Bates all through training camp and the preseason, knowing he would benefit from sheerly getting reps. That approach isn't going to change during the regular season, as long as Bates doesn't create good reason for it to change.
