The Buffalo Bills have shown unwavering support for kicker Tyler Bass despite his recent difficulties, but a new report indicates that his struggles persist during offseason practices.
Last season, Bass made only 82.8% of his field goals, a slight improvement over his rookie season’s career-low. His performance issues were highlighted by several high-profile misses, including a crucial one in the team’s divisional-round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
According to Alex Brasky of the Batavia Daily News, Bass continued to falter, missing several kicks during the team’s June 12 practice session.
Troubling Misses for Tyler Bass
Brasky reported that Bass hit only 3 out of 7 kicks in Wednesday’s practice, with two misses coming from inside 40 yards.
“An ugly session for Tyler Bass at #Bills Wednesday minicamp, as he missed his first 3 kicks from 45, 35, 35,” Brasky noted. “Then made from 50, missed from 45 and made from 50. Later on, he went 1-for-2 on kicks from 50. Bass finished with a disappointing 83% field goal percentage last season.”
Concerns about Bass had been growing even before this practice. In a mailbag column on June 1, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News expressed concerns about Bass’s performance last season and suggested that the Bills might consider bringing in competition for the kicker position during training camp.
Skurski pointed out that financially, the Bills have an incentive to retain Bass, as his contract counts $4.42 million against the 2024 salary cap, with only $100,000 in cap savings if he were to be released.
“Financially, the best-case scenario for the Bills is Bass bounces back to the form he showed in 2021 and 2022, when he made more than 87% of his field-goal attempts in both seasons,” Skurski wrote.
Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic emphasized that Bass will be under pressure to improve in 2024, especially since fans remember his missed kick from last season.
“That strong leg is what compelled the Bills to sign him to a four-year contract extension last offseason,” Fairburn wrote. “But he needs to find his rhythm after an uneven season in 2023.”
Bills head coach Sean McDermott expressed his confidence in Bass after the season-ending loss, stating his belief that the veteran kicker would improve next season.
“I am confident in Tyler. I’ll start there and end there. But in between those two…yes, there are kicks we need to make,” McDermott said, as reported by Jori Epstein on X. “I’m very confident he’s going to do what’s necessary this offseason to get right.”
Bills’ Special Teams Undergoing Changes
The Bills might be making significant changes to their special teams. NYup.com’s Matt Parrino predicted that undrafted free agent punter Jack Browning could potentially replace veteran Sam Martin.
Martin, who signed a three-year, $6 million contract, remains under contract for the next two seasons. However, Parrino noted that the Bills favor athletic punters with good control and power, traits that Browning possesses.
“Here’s a bit of a curveball,” Parrino wrote in his early prediction of the team’s final 53-man roster. “The Bills haven’t even made their undrafted free agent class official yet, but they’re expected to sign San Diego State punter Jack Browning. A quick YouTube search yields positive reviews on Browning, who will enter an important competition at punter this summer.”
