Is your favorite NFL team ready for anything? The Buffalo Bills are certainly thinking ahead! With star kicker Tyler Bass battling injuries, the team is proactively scouting emergency replacements. It’s a classic McDermott move, but what does it signal for the season opener?
The Buffalo Bills are once again grappling with significant injury challenges as they gear up for the looming NFL regular season, a situation particularly pronounced at the critical kicker position. While numerous players have been sidelined throughout training camp and the preseason, impacting valuable practice repetitions, the focus has recently shifted to the health of veteran kicker Tyler Bass, whose status has prompted the team to explore contingency plans.
Bass, a linchpin of the Bills’ special teams, had been sidelined since late July due to a pelvic injury, causing a noticeable absence from key drills. His return to action during the preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he successfully converted two extra points and three out of four field goals, including a miss from 26 yards, offered a glimpse of his recovery, yet the team remains cautiously optimistic about his full readiness for the NFL season.
In a move characteristic of Head Coach Sean McDermott’s meticulous approach, the Buffalo Bills have been actively vetting potential emergency relief options at kicker. This proactive strategy underscores the organization’s commitment to due diligence, ensuring preparedness for any unforeseen circumstances, particularly if Bass were to experience further setbacks in the initial stages of the regular season. The team is leveraging the influx of available talent following roster cutdown day.
Among the candidates brought in for workouts were experienced kickers Eddy Piñeiro, Travis Coons, and Greg Joseph, each boasting varying levels of NFL experience. This comprehensive evaluation process allows the Buffalo Bills to assess a range of skills and readiness, providing a crucial backup plan that could prove invaluable as the regular season schedule intensifies. The depth chart considerations highlight the team’s commitment to special teams stability.
Tyler Bass’s importance to the Buffalo Bills cannot be overstated, given his consistent performance and franchise-record achievements. The veteran kicker holds numerous team records, including the longest field goal (61 yards), most field goals attempted in a single game (eight), most 50+ yard field goals (16), and the most points scored in a single season (141 in 2020). His reliability has been a cornerstone of the team’s scoring efforts.
This strategic exploration of backup kickers aligns perfectly with McDermott’s philosophy of “trust the process,†prioritizing readiness and contingency planning over complacency. It reflects an understanding that in the high-stakes environment of the NFL, having viable alternatives for key positions is paramount to sustaining success, especially with veteran options readily available in the free-agent market, to ensure the Buffalo Bills are always competitive.
While Bass’s return to the field during the preseason offers reassurance, the team’s ongoing assessment of other kickers signals a clear “break-in-case-of-emergency†stance. With the regular season rapidly approaching, the window for addressing any lingering issues with Bass’s pelvic injury is narrowing, making the thorough evaluation of available talent a critical component of the Buffalo Bills’ pre-season preparations for a successful campaign.
