Lions Among NFL Teams Interested In UFL K Jake Bates

Bates drew some attention by making a 64-yard game-winning field goal for the Panthers in the first week of the UFL season. 

Before that, Bates had been just a kickoff specialist in college and hadn’t made a field goal in a game since high school. 

Bates, 25, played soccer for two seasons at Central Arkansas before transferring to Texas State and switching to football as a kickoff specialist. He did that for three years, spending his final year at Arkansas after another transfer. 

Bates had a stint with the Texans for about a week in 2023 during the preseason. He later joined the Michigan Panthers for the 2024 UFL season. 

In 2024, Bates is 1-1 on field goal attempts.