After Years of Stability with Tyler Bass, Bills May Face Unexpected Special Teams Competition
For years, the Buffalo Bills enjoyed stability with strong-legged kicker Tyler Bass, but this summer might bring some unforeseen competition in their special teams unit.
In a mailbag column on June 1, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News highlighted potential concerns over Bass, citing his late-season struggles with accuracy. Skurski suggested that Bass’s performance could be a “cause for concern” for the Bills and predicted they might bring in another kicker to challenge him for his spot.
“It’s entirely fair to be concerned about Bass going into 2024,” Skurski wrote. “Bottom line: He wasn’t good enough at the end of last season, especially in the playoffs. It’s surprising that the Bills didn’t bring in any competition for Bass this offseason.”
Bass ended the season with an 82.8% field goal completion rate, barely above his rookie-year career low. His struggles were highlighted by a critical miss in the divisional-round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he missed a 44-yard kick that could have tied the game.
Skurski noted that releasing Bass could be financially challenging for the Bills, as his contract counts $4.42 million against the 2024 salary cap, with only a $100,000 saving if released.
“Financially, the best-case scenario for the Bills is Bass bouncing back to the form he showed in 2021 and 2022, when he made more than 87% of his field-goal attempts in both seasons,” Skurski wrote.
Despite last season’s struggles, the Bills have shown faith in Bass. After the season-ending loss, head coach Sean McDermott expressed confidence in Bass’s ability to make necessary adjustments for the upcoming season.
“I am confident in Tyler. I’ll start there and end there. But in between those two…yes, there are kicks we need to make,” McDermott said, via reporter Jori Epstein on X. “I’m very confident he’s going to do what’s necessary this offseason to (get) right.”
However, the Bills have also demonstrated a willingness to part ways with veteran players, as seen in their recent cap-cutting moves, including releasing Tre’Davious White, Jordan Poyer, and Mitch Morse, and restructuring Von Miller’s contract.
Skurski suggested that the Bills might already be considering shifting some of Bass’s responsibilities, particularly kickoffs. With new league rules promoting kick returns, some teams are exploring using position players as kickers to add an extra tackler to the coverage unit.
Skurski recalled that a few years ago, Dawson Knox, Micah Hyde, and Matt Barkley attempted extra points during a training camp practice, with Knox being the only one still with the team.
The Bills’ approach to special teams this summer could introduce new competition and strategies, potentially impacting Tyler Bass’s role and future with the team.
