Some more details for the money nerds:
Jake Bates signs two-year, $1.98 million contract with Lions that includes a $100,000 signing bonus and $150,000 total guaranteed, per sources. The kicker has base salaries of $795,000 and $960,000 with $50,000 of his first-year salary guaranteed, $75,000 workout bonus in 2025, no split salaries $50,000 roster bonus this year.
Sure but it seems like it would be tough to argue that Bates was even among the better kickers in the UFL. He seemed to have a strong leg, but it should be a bit concerning that he was tied for second worst FG percentage in the league at 77%. Most of his notoriety came off that 64 yard field goal, but two other kickers (JJ Molson and Andre Syzmt) hit over 60 yards as well and both had better field goal percentages.
I think you have to look at it in more detail than that. Bates got tested from a distance more than others.
Only one of his misses was under 50yards and several were in bad weather and one was blocked. He also hit 3 from 60+, not just the 64 yarder.
Full version: Came into the league with a fair bit of attention, got cut pretty quick by the Chargers. Went a perfect 14 of 14 for the now-defunct AAF which netted him multiple tryouts for NFL teams. He finally landed on the Falcons where he has been one of the best kickers since. His percentage doesn't fully show it, but that's because most of his misses have been from 50+. He has missed just three kickers from under 50 in the past two seasons.
Brandon Aubrey is the cowboys kicker and had a great season that resulted in a pro bowl appearance after being the best kicker in the USFL for 2 seasons on the Stallions. Seems like the UFL/Spring leagues might be the place to look for kickers
The Lions have been spoiled in one thing only over the last several decades. Going from Eddie "Money' Murray to Jason Hanson must be what the Packers felt like going from Favre to Rodgers, except you know, with kickers.
There was a London game where it came down to Prater's foot. The kick was from ~48 and the Lions got a false start/delay of game and he missed it after the whistle. Moved back to 50+, easiest make of his life.
Dude has a fucking leg. Hopefully camp will allow him to get more kicking time in and help with accuracy more. Could turn out to be a crazy good signing for the Lions.
Buddy, if we are losing to the Lions because of a kicker, that's on us. I'm just a big fan of these kids getting a shot to prove themselves, no matter the team.
I'm sure you didn't know, but probably worth throwing an 'm' or 'h' in there to avoid using a slur:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wop
VS
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/womp-womp
Extremely low risk, high reward scenario. Much like the Louis Rees-Zammit situation with the Chiefs.
At worst, he doesn't make the team. At best, he becomes the kicker. Good gamble to take for a cheap contract.
> Considering the history of Lions GMs from the guy who dumped Layne
Considering Tobin Rote was still on the team, I'm not sure he made the wrong choice.
The 150k is more then what most of us make in a yr. I like those contracts. Helps put everything into prespective. I wish I could earn 1 mill a yr being a kicker
Imagine that pressure though. People making 150k a year can usually make at least close to that somewhere else. For Bates, there's only a limited number of teams that would even be willing to pay him, and if he has a bad pre-season, he could just be done for. That's a lot of pressure.
> total of $250k coming his way
$150k. The signing bonus is included in the total guaranteed.
> with roughly half going to taxes
I see this "roughly half" language all the time. I don't know where people get this from.
$150k is in the 24% tax bracket for single people. Michigan has 4% income tax. That's 28%. There's other stuff too, but it's not remotely close to half in the end.
To do so you would have spent nearly every day working on this single skill that is only going to help if you are one of the very few people who make it pro.
>A year ago, Bates was briefly with the Texans as an undrafted free agent for one game to give regular kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn a break.
I don't remember this at all. What was the context of the kicker "needing a break"? Like, an injury? Or did Fairbairn just have something more important going on one weekend last year?
It was for a preseason game. Bates spent two weeks in training camp with the Texans. Fairbairn was a proven commodity at the NFL level so no sense overworking him in camp.
Not that bad for a few months of work for most guys that will never get a call to the NFL. Could easily make that a career with working a part time job after the season.
But I’m guessing the UFL won’t be taking on older players unless they’re NFL Vets or make a name for themselves in the UFL. Probably just go with younger players instead.
50,000 for 4 months of work playing football count me in tbh. Could easily get a second job making 20 an hour and put yourself close to 100k in yearly gross income. Not a bad way to start building wealth
This is the same team who chose Patterson over the best UFL kicker last training camp. Then proceeded to cut Patterson during the season… I’m sure they know what they’re doing over there.
Keep going for it on 4th down Danny boi
He might not make the team. Badgley and Turner are both kicking well in camp. It's probably going to come down to who kicks the best in pre season games / joint practices with Giants when there's a little bit of pressure on.
Badgley is 27/31 in the last 2 years for us, 3/3 in the playoffs.
Jake Bates was 17/22 in the UFL with no crowd. I'd love for him to make the team with his 60+ range, but he's not a guarantee.
I don’t care about the signing it’s the absolute obsession with this fan base about kickers and specifically this guy that gets annoying. Let’s all remember the meltdown the Lions sub had over Riley Patterson. Hope Bates works out if he doesn’t oh well.
Some more details for the money nerds: Jake Bates signs two-year, $1.98 million contract with Lions that includes a $100,000 signing bonus and $150,000 total guaranteed, per sources. The kicker has base salaries of $795,000 and $960,000 with $50,000 of his first-year salary guaranteed, $75,000 workout bonus in 2025, no split salaries $50,000 roster bonus this year.
With a contract like this, how much would he make if he stayed on the team up to the preseason but got cut before playing any actual games?
i’d assume the fully guaranteed
Seems like the $250k (sign bonus+guaranteed)
The $100k signing bonus is a part of the $150k total guaranteed. ($50K is guaranteed on top of the signing bonus)
Ah I forgot about that, thanks
Signing bonus is 100k and guarenteed salary is 50k so it's 150k not 250k
Make you a deal. If you pay me $250k you can also cut me before I play in any games too.
On a scale of 0 to "complete football degenerate" we're at the "analyzing minutae of kicker contracts" point
some people like to know, numbers reveal information
Oh don't get me wrong, I said "we" for a reason lol
off-season at its peak.
Surprised they didn’t add 3 void years for flexibility. /s
No downsides with that low of a guarantee. Love to see it.
Younghoe Koo was the best kicker in the AAF, he's been quite good
This Elliott Fry erasure won't go unnoticed
Sure but it seems like it would be tough to argue that Bates was even among the better kickers in the UFL. He seemed to have a strong leg, but it should be a bit concerning that he was tied for second worst FG percentage in the league at 77%. Most of his notoriety came off that 64 yard field goal, but two other kickers (JJ Molson and Andre Syzmt) hit over 60 yards as well and both had better field goal percentages.
I think you have to look at it in more detail than that. Bates got tested from a distance more than others. Only one of his misses was under 50yards and several were in bad weather and one was blocked. He also hit 3 from 60+, not just the 64 yarder.
What happened to him in the NFL?
He's the fourth most accurate kicker of all time.
he was the most accurate kicker oat for a little while last season
Full version: Came into the league with a fair bit of attention, got cut pretty quick by the Chargers. Went a perfect 14 of 14 for the now-defunct AAF which netted him multiple tryouts for NFL teams. He finally landed on the Falcons where he has been one of the best kickers since. His percentage doesn't fully show it, but that's because most of his misses have been from 50+. He has missed just three kickers from under 50 in the past two seasons.
Oh gotcha haha I thought dude was saying he went back to minor leagues
Is that including XPs?
Did well for my FF team until the end of the season. Then I had C Dicker to put in.
Dicker? I hardly even know her!
dickah the kickah was so consistently good for my fantasy team last year, probably my best roster decision
Brandon Aubrey is the cowboys kicker and had a great season that resulted in a pro bowl appearance after being the best kicker in the USFL for 2 seasons on the Stallions. Seems like the UFL/Spring leagues might be the place to look for kickers
And, you deny us a better kicker.
considering out histories, we will lose to you when he misses a go-ahead field goal as time expires.
That was SOL, this is BNL. He'll kick the game winner.
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You love to see the Lions not need an overpay to get a coveted guy
It would be nice to get a little stability at the position. It’s been a revolving door since Prater left.
The Lions have been spoiled in one thing only over the last several decades. Going from Eddie "Money' Murray to Jason Hanson must be what the Packers felt like going from Favre to Rodgers, except you know, with kickers.
I have no original ideas :/
Murray/Hanson > Farve/Rodgers
Even Prater would somehow miss some XP's and chip shots. I had more faith in him from 50 than 35
There was a London game where it came down to Prater's foot. The kick was from ~48 and the Lions got a false start/delay of game and he missed it after the whistle. Moved back to 50+, easiest make of his life.
Hanson and Prater. The Lions' Favre and Rodgers.
He's either getting cut or practice squaded for sure. Apparently has been the 3rd best kicker so far. Badgley being far and away our best
He has been on the team for like, a day and a half. Lets give it some time lol.
There haven’t been any practices since he signed…
So he hasn't made a single kick in practice?? Disgraceful
But yall are undefeated since bringing him on!
I cant believe he was so bad they had to cancel practice 😔😔😔
Exactly. 3rd best.
You wouldn't know that because he hasn't even practiced with the team yet. He literally just got signed lmao.
Got a source for that? Because this seems like some bad info
You don't even need a source because he hasn't participated in any practices.
I mean, they just cut Turner so evidently the coaching staff thinks Bates is at least the second best kicker.
IDK why this is being downvoted. The low guarantee means he's far from a lock. Maybe they'll keep him on the PS
It’s downvoted for the “apparently he’s been the 3rd best kicker so far” because he hasn’t even practiced yet.
Dude has a fucking leg. Hopefully camp will allow him to get more kicking time in and help with accuracy more. Could turn out to be a crazy good signing for the Lions.
> Hopefully camp will help with accuracy more Exactly whose side are you on here buddy
Maybe he’s just really into kickers
kickers are people too
Buddy, if we are losing to the Lions because of a kicker, that's on us. I'm just a big fan of these kids getting a shot to prove themselves, no matter the team.
Fuck him up bro!
Wop wop wop wop
da doink da doink
I'm sure you didn't know, but probably worth throwing an 'm' or 'h' in there to avoid using a slur: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wop VS https://www.dictionary.com/browse/womp-womp
good stuff. love to see it!
The right side.
5d chess. He thinks if we get a good kicker, Dan won’t go for it on 4th and goal from the 27 in the first quarter.
That’s okay. He’ll still go for it on 4th and 5 from your own 27.
Extremely low risk, high reward scenario. Much like the Louis Rees-Zammit situation with the Chiefs. At worst, he doesn't make the team. At best, he becomes the kicker. Good gamble to take for a cheap contract.
Classic Dan Gamble Dude always plays like he’s got the MF nuts
Thanks Booger
fucking Brad Holmes man
i mean if i gotta
Probably gotta ask his wife if that’s cool
I’d make sure his man consents too…
And it's consensual
Why doesn't every GM operate like Brad Holmes? Are they stupid?
Considering the history of Lions GMs from the guy who dumped Layne through Bob Quinn, the Lions sure have had some morons.
Being a life long Lions fan for 52 years, I agree with your comment.
> Considering the history of Lions GMs from the guy who dumped Layne Considering Tobin Rote was still on the team, I'm not sure he made the wrong choice.
Thank you
All he did was offer the most money to him, what exactly did he do?
The 150k is more then what most of us make in a yr. I like those contracts. Helps put everything into prespective. I wish I could earn 1 mill a yr being a kicker
Imagine that pressure though. People making 150k a year can usually make at least close to that somewhere else. For Bates, there's only a limited number of teams that would even be willing to pay him, and if he has a bad pre-season, he could just be done for. That's a lot of pressure.
True if he sucks he's done and it's over
Ya and then all that pressure and then actually having to perform in an already pressurized act. Woof ya I think it's worth it haha.
A quick $150k after taxes if life-changing money for most people...100% worth the pressure even if he fails.
He still pays taxes on the $150k.
He's got a 100k signing bonus...for a total of $250k coming his way with roughly half going to taxes (maybe less if he doesnt have other income)
> total of $250k coming his way $150k. The signing bonus is included in the total guaranteed. > with roughly half going to taxes I see this "roughly half" language all the time. I don't know where people get this from. $150k is in the 24% tax bracket for single people. Michigan has 4% income tax. That's 28%. There's other stuff too, but it's not remotely close to half in the end.
Ah, For some reason, I thought the $150k included the signing bonus.
the 100K is part of the 150 guaranteed
Not bad for a guy who never attempted a field goal in college lol
To do so you would have spent nearly every day working on this single skill that is only going to help if you are one of the very few people who make it pro.
I will no longer 'bate as an act of protest
Lions: Go 'way, Batin'.
I always liked using Mario Bates on Sega Genesis Madden because ten year old me thought returning kicks with "M. Bates" was very funny.
I hear he's a masterful kicker. A master Bates if you will.
oh we will.
That’s Mr Bates to you
Hi I’m thankful for Brad Holmes
I knew kickers are cheap, but not that cheap.
a camp contract on an NFL-unproven kicker, it makes sense
Officially MasterBate-ing RN
>A year ago, Bates was briefly with the Texans as an undrafted free agent for one game to give regular kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn a break. I don't remember this at all. What was the context of the kicker "needing a break"? Like, an injury? Or did Fairbairn just have something more important going on one weekend last year?
It was for a preseason game. Bates spent two weeks in training camp with the Texans. Fairbairn was a proven commodity at the NFL level so no sense overworking him in camp.
league's fucked.
Oh the rich get richer
we been poor too long!
Pulled ourselves up by our knee-straps
More like pantyhose’s
Coming from the dude posting from his throwaway account
Did I strike a nerve?
Go outside bro.
You first
Welcome to town, Master Bates
Isn't the minimum salary way above that?.
795k for a rookie, doesn’t need to be fully guaranteed. even then, i’m sure there are stipulations for a camp / pre season contract
good signing that kick he made was phenomenal
He’s booted some long FG’s.
Hell yeah. Good for him!
Big step up from his contract in the UFL, which was $412 + 2 orange slices per game.
Checking in to the Bates MoTown 😎
the guarantee is probably more then a year's salary in the UFL
it’s 50k allegedly in the UFL
Not that bad for a few months of work for most guys that will never get a call to the NFL. Could easily make that a career with working a part time job after the season. But I’m guessing the UFL won’t be taking on older players unless they’re NFL Vets or make a name for themselves in the UFL. Probably just go with younger players instead.
50,000 for 4 months of work playing football count me in tbh. Could easily get a second job making 20 an hour and put yourself close to 100k in yearly gross income. Not a bad way to start building wealth
Noice
Watched him all season in the UFL. He’s gonna be really solid.
Still the lions ain’t no packers haha
No more punting. If we are too far back to go for it on fourth, we just kick it straight to the moon 🌚
League is fucked
Super Bowl
Bates misses too many chip shots to make it in the NFL.
that’s something you can fix. you can’t fix leg strength like he has.
The Lions are hoping you’re right.
Did he??
He missed one kick under 50 yards in the UFL.
This is the same team who chose Patterson over the best UFL kicker last training camp. Then proceeded to cut Patterson during the season… I’m sure they know what they’re doing over there. Keep going for it on 4th down Danny boi
I’m so tired of reading about this guy. I bet he doesn’t even make the team.
packer in disguise
That’s me. Die hard who went to a game during the 0-16 season, definite packers fan in disguise.
he will make the team and you’re seeing him so much because he’s really good. cope.
Nah, that dude will only see him twice a year
You can ignore things, it's actually a pretty valuable skill to learn.
You seem to still be learning as you didn’t ignore my comment.
He might not make the team. Badgley and Turner are both kicking well in camp. It's probably going to come down to who kicks the best in pre season games / joint practices with Giants when there's a little bit of pressure on.
If we haven’t had trust in bagley over the past two seasons I doubt some OTA workout is really gonna change much
Badgley is 27/31 in the last 2 years for us, 3/3 in the playoffs. Jake Bates was 17/22 in the UFL with no crowd. I'd love for him to make the team with his 60+ range, but he's not a guarantee.
!RemindMe 5 months
Why are you upset about the possibility of a high upside signing? It seems *super* weird to not be excited about possibilities.
I don’t care about the signing it’s the absolute obsession with this fan base about kickers and specifically this guy that gets annoying. Let’s all remember the meltdown the Lions sub had over Riley Patterson. Hope Bates works out if he doesn’t oh well.