Lions to release journeyman kicker 

Badgley entered the 2022 season without a team, joining the Bears for what wound up as a one-game audition. He was released shortly thereafter and signed by the Lions in October with the aim to find a suitable replacement for the injured Austin Seibert. Badgley held down the role for the remainder of the season, converting 20 of 24 field goal tries (good for an 83.% success rate) and all 33 of his extra-point attempts. Those totals earned him a new Lions deal in March.

Entering training camp, Badgley was named by team reporter Tim Twentyman as the favorite in a competition that also includes Riley Patterson and former XFLer Parker Romo. Patterson has experience in Detroit, having played seven games for the Lions in 2021 before spending last season in Jacksonville. The Jaguars’ addition of veteran Brandon McManus left him on the open market, and he will now look to reclaim his old job in the Motor City. Romo signed with the Saints as a UDFA last year but has yet to make an appearance in the NFL.

Given his success from last season, it comes as a surprise that Badgley once again finds himself without a team, especially before the onset of training camp. Today’s move will result in $743K in cap savings for the Lions while generating a dead money charge of $350K. Detroit was already in better shape than most teams with respect to cap space, so a modest financial gain was not needed to free up the flexibility for any other moves the team could be lining up.

Badgley, 27, will look to latch onto a roster in the coming days and insert himself into a new kicking competition. Opportunities may be hard to come by, though, with the likes of Robbie Gould, Mason Crosby, Randy Bullock and Brett Maher all on the open market at this point. The Lions’ evaluation of their remaining kickers, meanwhile, will be more straightforward with one fewer participant.