What Lions Are Getting in Kicker John Parker Romo

The All-XFL player will compete with Michael Badgley to handle kicking duties.

The Detroit Lions have a kicker competition brewing this offseason. 

Michael Badgley, who made 24-of-28 field goals in 2022 for the team, returned on a one-year contract. He ultimately beat out competitors last season, and held the job from Week 5 through the end of the year. 

His current competitor is John Parker Romo, who signed with the team after a tryout at rookie minicamp. The kicker made the news official himself on Monday. 

Romo isn't a household name in many circles. He most recently played for the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL, enjoying a successful season in which he led the league in made field goals. 

He was 17-of-19 on attempts, and was named to the All-XFL team. Among his makes was a 57-yard field goal, one of nine makes beyond 40 yards. Overall, he missed just once from that distance. 

Very important XFL note: The record for longest field goal in the history of the Seahawks' stadium doesn't belong to an NFL kicker, it belongs to the XFL's John Parker Romo (@Romo_HKA), who drilled a 57-yarder for the @XFLBrahmas over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/3MqZo5Pvnw

— John Breech (@johnbreech) March 13, 2023

His only NFL experience came in 2022, when he signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent. He was one-of-two on field goals in the preseason, but didn't crack the regular season roster. 

After going unsigned through the regular season, he signed with the Brahmas in the XFL. 

Romo kicked at three colleges: Central Arkansas, Tulsa and Virginia Tech. After getting limited reps at his first two schools, he took advantage of his biggest opportunity with the Hokies in 2021. 

That season, he made 18-of-22 field goals, along with all 34 of his extra point attempts. He was named All-Atlantic Coast Conference for his performance. 

Across the span of his college and professional career, he has made four-of-six attempts from 50-plus yards. 

He will be the latest in a long line of kickers for the Lions over the past two seasons. Since 2021, the team has seen a revolving door of kickers. 

Many believed the Lions would be in the market to draft a kicker. Michigan's Jake Moody was the top prospect at the position, and was drafted in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers. 

Austin Seibert has been the kicker in two different stints, including during the first three games of the 2022 season. An injury forced the team to turn to Dominik Eberle, who struggled in his only appearance in Week 4. 

Badgley was signed and provided stability for the remainder of the year. He and Romo will compete for the job in a battle that will likely stand the duration of training camp and the preseason.