Tyler Bass
Getty
The Bills placed Tyler Bass on injured reserve ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Ravens
The Buffalo Bills will kick off their 2025 campaign with a bang, as they will square off against the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of last season’s divisional round playoff matchup. The Bills came out on top in that game, and they will be hoping to earn a similar result when they take the field for Sunday Night Football.
Just days before the game, though, Buffalo has found itself in a tough spot at the kicker position. Their starter, Tyler Bass, has popped up on the injury report recently, and after missing practice earlier this week, the team made a move involving Bass that will surely catch fans’ attention with kickoff quickly approaching.
Bills Place Tyler Bass on Injured Reserve
Bass has been the Bills’ starting kicker since he was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he’s quickly established himself as one of the most consistent options at the position in the league. Bass has made at least 82% of his field goal attempts in each of his first five seasons, while also missing just 10 extra point attempts during that stretch.
Buffalo hasn’t had many problems with Bass as its kicker, but they found themselves in a tight spot when Bass missed practice on Thursday with groin and hip injuries. The team indicated that things weren’t great with Bass when they went out and signed the 41-year-old Matt Prater to their practice squad shortly after Thursday’s practice.
The hope was that the Bills simply wanted a little bit of depth in case Bass couldn’t go in Week 1, but it turns out things are worse than initially expected. After signing Prater on Thursday, Buffalo turned around and placed Bass on injured reserve on Friday, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the 2025 campaign.
“We have placed K Tyler Bass on IR,” the Bills announced in a post on X.
Bills Hoping Matt Prater Can Hold Down the Fort in Tyler Bass’ Absence
Matt Prater
Bryan M. Bennett/Getty ImagesVeteran kicker Matt Prater, who signed with the Bills on Thursday, kicked at Highmark Stadium as a member of the Arizona Cardinals in 2024.
Prater has been kicking in the NFL since 2007, spending the majority of his career with the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions. After four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Prater has returned for the 2025 campaign with Buffalo, where he will be given the first crack at filling in for Bass while he recovers from his aforementioned injuries.
A two-time Pro Bowler who was also a member of the All-Pro Second Team back in 2013, Prater has long been one of the most reliable kickers in the game, and he hit all six of his field goal attempts and all 10 of his extra point attempts in four contests with Arizona last season. He may not be the kicker he once was, but Prater should be able to hold his own for Buffalo to start the season, and the team may need him right out of the gate if they want to beat Baltimore in Week 1.