The Detroit Lions wrapped up minicamp on June 17, and it showcased the roster's potential. While most of the attention throughout was on the many stars in the team and the coaches, kicker Jake Bates has stolen the spotlight at the end of the camp.

Bates, currently on a 1-year, $1 million deal, has established himself as one of the NFL’s strongest-legged specialists. And his latest minicamp performance suggested that he had even more range.

“Jake Bates just ended Lions minicamp with a 64-yard bomb that may have been good from 70,’ said Detroit Lions writer Jeremy Reisman on a June 17 post on X.

If his kick had happened during a game, it would have broken the NFL’s record for the longest field goal. The current record is 66 yards, currently held by Justin Tucker.

Practice conditions differ quite a bit from in-game situations. However, very few NFL kickers possess the ability to kick for about 70 yards. With such an ability, Bates could become a key player for the Lions next season.

Bates emerged as a UFL star, and his two-season consistency has caught the Lions' attention. In 34 games so far, he’s made 53 of his 63 attempts and has an impressive 95.9 extra-point percentage.

In tight games, a single kick often decides the outcome, and Bates' 64-yard range could be the difference. He could be one of the reasons for the Lions possibly winning the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, the Lions have gone back to sign three more players from the UFL after Bates’ success.

The Lions Sign Three UFL WRs

The Lions have been trying to improve their offense all offseason with changes to the offensive line and offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, they lost their fifth-round pick, wide receiver Kendrick Law, after a season-ending ACL injury. Now, general manager Brad Holmes is hoping to cover the loss by signing three receivers from the UFL.

The Lions have officially signed WRs Tarik Black, Lucky Jackson, and Tay Martin to the team. Jackson and Black are coming off winning the UFL championship with the Louisville Kings. Martin was a player for the Columbus Aviators. 

However, these signings meant that all open spots for camp were filled, which has forced the Lions to cut one player.

“The Lions have waived WR Kyre Duplessis. That puts them at 90 players. They have one open spot to fill before camp,” Lions beat writer Mike Payton confirmed on X on June 17.

Duplessis has never played in the NFL but played for four years with Coastal Carolina before transferring to Delaware for his final collegiate year. He was signed as an undrafted free agent and now will be hoping to find himself with another NFL team.

Do you think any of the UFL signees could become a key player for the Lions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi