Bills express confidence in Tyler Bass despite working out two kickers

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott supported his kicker Tyler Bass despite the team working out potential competition.

Anthony Miller | Sep 18, 2024

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The offseason concerns looming around Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass have unfortunately persisted into the 2024 campaign, and the team seemingly responded to the concerns earlier this week when it
hosted kickers Anders Carlson and Cade York for workouts.

The team hosting two other options at One Bills Drive, however, does not necessarily signal that a move at the position is forthcoming. Head coach Sean McDermott spoke about hosting the two kickers on workouts during his Wednesday media availability, again expressing faith in Bass.

“Yeah, just keeping an eye on things like we do at every position,” McDermott told reporters. “We remain confident in Tyler and what he’s doing. We are confident in what he will continue to do for us going forward.”

It hasn’t necessarily been a bad start to the season for Bass, as he has made three of four field goals and has converted all eight of his extra points through two games. The veteran did miss a 45-yard field goal in the Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins, however; the kick was unblocked and in a non-pressure situation.

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The organization has continuously shown support and confidence in Bass, with Beane expressing faith in the kicker in August despite his slight training camp woes. His struggles carried over into the offseason from the 2023 campaign, particularly the postseason when he missed three of five field goal attempts.

Bass is coming off a 2023 season in which his field goal percentage (82.8%) was his lowest since his 2020 rookie campaign (82.4%). He signed a four-year, $20 million contract extension after the 2022 season, a difficult-to-get-out-of deal that's perhaps tying one hand behind Buffalo's back with regard to making a change.

Some teams bring in players for workouts to motivate their current players to play better, so that could perhaps be part of the reason why the Bills recently hosted two kickers. It's also possible that the team is looking at additional options at the position for their practice squad.

Bass will look to rebound when Buffalo hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Week 3 Monday Night Football clash.

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