After the Detroit Lions reportedly agreed to terms with the New York Jets to trade for Denzel Mims, they needed to create a roster spot. On Thursday, they did just that. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Lions are releasing kicker Michael Badgley.
On the surface, this is a pretty surprising move. Badgley was Detroit’s starting kicker for most of the 2022 season and did an admirable job. He made all 33 of his extra points and went a respectable 20-of-24 on his field goals. The Lions brought in more competition with Parker Romo and Riley Patterson, but both of those kickers were inconsistent during OTAs and minicamp.