Who Should I Start? Zane Gonzalez or Michael Badgley

Tuesday, September 5, 6:14 PM

San Francisco 49ers kicker Zane Gonzalez (calf) has been released by the team in order to clear some cap space on Tuesday. The 49ers placed the veteran kicker on IR last week as they pared their roster down to 53 players and he is now free to sign with any team, although, that may be difficult with his current injury. 2023 third-round pick, Jake Moody (quad) is expected to be the 49ers starting kicker once the regular season begins but he's dealing with an injury himself. San Francisco signed Matthew Wright as a backup if Moody can't suit up on Sunday at Pittsburgh. The 49ers are loaded at pretty much every position group on their roster but kicker, as it stands right now, is not one of them. They may need to bring in another reliable veteran kicking option if Moody's recovery takes longer than expected.

Thursday, February 22, 7:16 PM

Free-agent kicker Michael Badgley has returned to the Detroit Lions by signing an undisclosed one-year deal with them on Thursday, according to his agent. Badgley only appeared in four games for the Lions in 2023, going 4-for-4 on his field-goal tries while making 13 of his 15 extra-point attempts. The 28-year-old spent most of the season on the practice squad before he replaced Riley Patterson for the final four games of the regular season and the playoffs. In total, he made all seven of his field goals and went 24-for-26 on his extra points last year. Badgley isn't just going to be handed the starting kicker job in 2024, most likely having to compete with another kicker that Detroit brings in this offseason.