The Detroit Lions are taking full advantage of the 2026 NFL offseason. This week, they have been making some roster moves, with the trade of David Montgomery being the most notable.

Jake Bates signed a 1-year, $1,075,000 contract with the Detroit Lions, averaging $1,075,000 per year. Now the Lions have tendered him as well. Dave Birkett, reported on X:

"The Lions have tendered K Jake Bates his ERFA contract. No surprise there. Bates has had a nice start to his NFL career." What does that mean?

An ERFA contract means Exclusive Rights Free Agent in the NFL. It is for a player whose contract expired but has less than 3 NFL seasons. If the team offers him a 1-year contract at the league minimum salary, he cannot negotiate with any other team.

The Lions have done the same with Jake Bates. And was he worth it? Bates gained national attention this season after kicking a UFL-record 64-yard field goal at Ford Field during a Week 1 victory over the St. Louis Battlehawks. It was within two yards of matching the NFL record 66-yard field goal set by Justin Tucker.

In the NFL, Bates has been 53 for 63 on field goals and 118 for 123 on extra points for 277 points in 2 seasons, both for the Detroit Lions.

The Detroit Lions Have Started Making Back to Back Roster Moves

The Lions traded running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans in early March 2026.

In return, Detroit received offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and a seventh-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. But it doesn't end there.

They made another roster move shortly after trading Montgomery by releasing veteran offensive lineman Graham Glasgow. The decision freed up around $5.5 million in cap space and signaled that Detroit plans to restructure parts of its offensive line ahead of the 2026 season.

Let us know what you think about these moves.

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Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar