There may be nobody in the UFL making more waves than Michigan Panthers kicker, Jake Bates, who has routinely been nuking field goals from 50-plus yards over three contests, including a pair from over 60.
After knocking through field goals of 64, 62 and 52 over his first two games, Bates was back at it again on Sunday, with his latest bomb coming from 55 yards. He also added a 46-yard make for good measure.
With those two successful attempts, Bates is now 5-for-5 on the season, but we’re giving him credit for a sixth after he made the 64-yarder twice. His first try, which went through, was negated because of a timeout.
Jake Bates, a kickoff specialist, hadn’t attempted a field goal since high school.
He just hit a game-winning 64-YARD field goal for the Panthers…
And he did it twice 🔥🦵 pic.twitter.com/7uL2QGEZoG
— United Football League (@TheUFL) March 30, 2024
With his impressive start to the season, Bates has already reportedly begun drawing interest from NFL teams, with the Detroit Lions apparently being among them. It’s worth noting that all of Bates’ field goals have come at Ford Field, with the 64-yarder being the second-longest in the venue’s history.
And Lions fans are already hard at work recruiting the kicker, who was met with pleas for him to stay in Detroit when he was leaving the field on Sunday following a 34-20 win over the Houston Roughnecks.
These Lions fans were begging @USFLPanthers Kicker Jake Bates to “stay in Detroit” 😂
🎥 : @USFLPanthers pic.twitter.com/H6nKsBVgoT
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) April 14, 2024
If the Lions truly want Bates as competition for Michael Badgley, they’re going to have to wait to sign him until after the UFL season, which ends with the league’s championship game on June 16.
That’ll give the Lions more time to see if Bates’ incredible run is for real or not. But the more field goals he makes, the more competition Detroit is going to have for his services.