Bills kicker Tyler Bass gets bad news on roster spot, potential injury for Week 1

Billy Heyen

Bills kicker Tyler Bass gets bad news on roster spot, potential injury for Week 1 image

Things do not appear to be settled in Buffalo at the kicker position.

The Bills' Tyler Bass battled a preseason injury, had a bad miss late in August, and now has apparent competition.

On Thursday, the Bills signed veteran kicker Matt Prater to their practice squad, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Prater, 41, has kicked 18 seasons in the NFL. He once had one of the biggest legs in the league. He has made 407 career field goals at an 83.6% clip, including 81 makes from 50 yards or beyond.

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It's not immediately clear how Prater's practice squad signing impacts Bass.

The Bills had already worked out three other veteran kickers after their preseason finale.

Bass missed the Bills' first two preseason games with pelvic-area soreness.

He made it back on the field in the preseason finale in Tampa Bay, but he missed his final kick wide right from just 26 yards out.

At this point, it's not clear whether Bass still has an injury problem or if something else is at play.

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The Bills open the season on Sunday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens.

It'll be a big kicker spotlight on the other sideline. Tyler Loop, a sixth-round rookie, is taking over for Justin Tucker.

The Ravens know that's happening, though, unlike whatever is going on with the Bills. Things seem very unsettled in the Buffalo kicker spot.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle