Buffalo Bills place kicker Tyler Bass looks over towards a teammate after leaving the field at the Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford on July 24, 2025. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bills exploring additional kicking options, hints at trouble for Tyler Bass

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Ralph Ventre | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 4:42 PM ET

It appeared as if Buffalo Bills ' kicker Tyler Bass was on schedule in his return from a pelvic problem that sidelined him for most of training camp.

Bass, who went on the shelf July 28, finally kicked competitively in the Bills' preseason finale on August 23, making 5 of 6 attempts from the field. As it turns out, however, the veteran kicker may have since suffered a setback.

With the September 7 season opener only 10 days away, the latest activity in Orchard Park suggests that the Bass's short-term future is murkier than initially thought.

On Thursday, two days after the NFL roster cutdown deadline , the Bills reportedly worked out three veteran placekickers — Eddy Piñeiro, Greg Joseph and Zane Gonzalez. Insider Jordan Schultz was the first to disclose the information.

Piñeiro, who will turn 30 years old on September 13, kicked the last three seasons for the Carolina Panthers. The Florida product kicked off his NFL in 2019 with the Chicago Bears. He had converted 88.1 percent of field goal attempts, including an 11-of-14 clip from 50+ yards, for his career.

The 31-year-old Joseph, who made 51 consecutive appearances for the Minnesota Vikings from 2021 through 2023, kicked for three different teams in 2024. He owns an 82.3 career field goal percentage with a 17-of-30 sample from beyond 50 yards.

Gonzalez, a 2017 seventh-round draft pick, returned in 2024 after a two-year absence. He spent the 2022 campaign on Injured Reserve with the Panthers. In 2023, the San Francisco 49ers waived Gonzalez with an injury settlement prior to the start of the regular season. The 30-year-old has hit field goals at 80.0 percent over a 69-game span.

Bass, who is signed to a four-year contract worth $20.4 million, has made 83 straight regular season appearances since being drafted in 2020. Bills' second-string running back Ray Davis can kick in emergency situations, but the team obviously needs a healthy primary option for Week 1.