Who Should I Start? Michael Badgley or Cade York

Tuesday, March 4, 3:15 PM

The Detroit Lions recently cleared veteran kicker Michael Badgley (groin) from the torn groin that kept him out for all of last season, a source tells NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. While Badgley has made a full recovery, he's now set to become a free agent next week. With the 29-year-old out of commission all year, Jake Bates served as Detroit's regular kicker and was very reliable, missing only three of his 29 field-goal attempts in 17 regular-season games while missing three of his 67 extra-point attempts in his first year in the league. Because of how good Bates looked in 2024, it's likely that the Lions will let Badgley walk in free agency as he heads into his eighth year in the NFL. Badgley has a career 82.4 percent success rate on 119 field-goal attempts in 64 games played. In four games with Detroit in 2023, he made all four of his FGs and went 13-for-15 on extra points.

Sunday, January 5, 7:20 AM

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Cade York had a perfect night Saturday in Pittsburgh, converting all four field goal attempts and his lone extra point in a 19-17 victory that kept the Bengals' playoff hopes alive. After a brutal miss last week that forced the Bengals into a tense overtime against Denver, there was no such kicker drama in Week 18. The journeyman converted field goals from 48, 27, 35, and 23 yards, the last of which proved to be the game-winner as Cincinnati held on in the fourth quarter. Whether York gets the chance to kick in the postseason will come down to results elsewhere, as the Bengals need Denver and Miami to lose Sunday to make the AFC playoffs.