Lions’ Michael Badgley Out for Season After Suffering ‘Severe’ Leg Injury at Practice

Adam WellsJuly 26, 2024

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley will miss the entire 2024 season due to a leg injury suffered at practice on Thursday.

According to Tim Twentyman of the team’s official website, the Lions will place Badgley on injured reserve after he suffered a “severe” injury during warmups before the start of practice.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Badgley was diagnosed with a torn hamstring.

Badgley was entering his second full season with the Lions. He signed a one-year contract to return to the club in February.

The 28-year-old bounced around the NFL for years before landing in Detroit. He originally signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2018, but he was waived before the start of the regular season.

Badgley was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers in October 2018. The Miami alum went 15-of-16 on field-goal attempts and 27-of-28 on extra points during his rookie season.

A groin injury kept Badgley out for the first eight weeks of the 2019 season. He played all 16 games for the Chargers in 2020 and signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent in September 2021.

After playing one game with the Titans, Badgley was waived and joined the Colts practice squad a few weeks later. He joined the Chicago Bears prior to Week 4 of the 2022 season, appeared in one game and was released soon after.

The Lions signed Badgley to their practice squad before Week 9 and he finished the season as their primary kicker. He had stints with the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans in the summer of 2023 but was released by both clubs before the start of the regular season.

Badgley returned to Detroit on the practice squad last September. He was elevated to the main roster before Week 15 after Riley Patterson missed extra points in two of the previous three games.

In seven games between the end of the regular season and playoffs, Badgley went 7-of-7 on field goals and 24-of-26 on extra points.

The Lions did sign Jake Bates to a two-year contract in June after he played for the Michigan Panthers in the UFL during the spring. The 24-year-old went 17-of-22 on field-goal attempts and made a game-winning 64-yarder in Week 1 against the St. Louis Battlehawks.