Jake Bates
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The Detroit Lions announced kicker Jake Bates signed his ERFA tender, which will officially bring him back for the 2026 NFL season.
Kicker Jake Bates is officially back for the Detroit Lions.
The team announced on social media Wednesday afternoon that Bates signed his 2026 contract.
In two seasons with the Lions, Bates has become a top kicker. He displays tremendous leg power and above average accuracy.
Over the past two seasons, he’s led the NFL in extra-points made.
His contract value was not included in the team’s announcement Wednesday. But Bates’s 2026 contract was previously reported to be worth about $1.075 million.
Lions Kicker Jake Bates Signs ERFA Tender
Bates entered this offseason as an exclusive-rights free agent. Players who don’t have contracts and under three years of service time are that type of free agent (ERFAs).
Without a contract beyond 2025, Bates fit that description. His first season in the NFL was 2024.
The Detroit Free Press’s Dave Birkett reported on March 4, the Lions placed the ERFA tender on Bates. That left Bates few options outside of signing his deal to play one more season for Detroit.
That’s officially what the kicker elected to do Wednesday.