Riley Patterson, one of two former Detroit Lions kickers looking for fresh opportunities this week, has been grabbed by the Washington Commanders.
The Jacksonville Jaguars waived Patterson earlier this week. The Green Bay Packers have also dismissed kicker James Turner, who spent the offseason with the Lions. Both situations raised some eyebrows in these parts, with the Lions down to one kicker (Jake Bates) following Michael Badgley’s season-ending hamstring injury.
Given the presence of former Lions officials in the front office, the Commanders’ decision to sign Patterson should come as no surprise. Patterson has played for the Lions twice in three years, serving as the team’s primary kicker for parts of the 2021 and 2023 seasons.
Turner went unclaimed on waivers on Tuesday, resulting in his becoming a free agent. He demonstrated some potential at the spring training at Allen Park, particularly with his long-ball kicks.
However, Bates is proving to be a legitimate option to monitor. And the Lions have been clear that they do not feel compelled to make a move there just yet. There have been some expected hiccups for the rookie kicker who rose to prominence with the Michigan Panthers in the United Football League. However, Bates has demonstrated the ability to stretch the field with some of those 55-yard catches.
“I think we’ve just — we’ve got to put him in as many pressure situations as we can in camp,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said about Bates last week. “And he has kicked in games; I know it’s not the same thing, but a little bit of it — the only way you’ll know is to put him out there and see how he does, and that will happen.
“I mean, look, right now he looks pretty good, and it’s early, but he has (a) big leg and I like his personality, his aura, I mean, he’s got some confidence about him, which is nice, he seems pretty consistent about the way he goes about his business, kind of the same guy every day, which I appreciate.”
