Exploring Jake Bates' salary: How much will Lions pay UFL standout?

The Detroit Lions signed placekicker Jake Bates to a two-year contract. According to Adam Schefter, the UFL breakout star has put pen to paper on a two-year, $1.98 million deal that includes $150,000 guaranteed and a $100,000 signing bonus.

This move is the latest in a stunning rise for the Arkansas Razorbacks product. He'll get the chance to compete for the starting kicker job in Detroit and make a name for himself in the National Football League.

Jake Bates' UFL season in the spotlight

Jake Bates signed for the Michigan Panthers on Dec. 25, 2023. Bates joined ahead of the inaugural UFL season and was highly sought after due to the league's kickoff rule requiring the football to reach 80 yards for a touchback, a staggering 15 yards longer than most levels of organized football.

Bates made a career-defining play in Week 1 of the 2024 UFL season. The Razorbacks alum made a game-winning 64-yard field goal versus the St. Louis Battlehawks. The field goal was the longest in UFL history and just two yards shy of Justin Tucker's NFL record of 66 yards.

To add further context to the special nature of his feat, that kick was the first in-game field goal of Bates' career. Bates went on to kick two more field goals of over 60 yards in the UFL. Those kicks came against the Birmingham Stallions and Arlington Renegades.

Bates ended the season with a stat line of 17 field goals made off 22 attempts. He was named to the 2024 All-UFL team for his efforts.

Will Jake Bates be the Lions' starting kicker in 2024?

Jake Bates enters a kicking department with veteran placekicker Michael Badgley and 2024 CFP National Championship winner James Turner. Both players will give him a decent battle in the preseason, and it'll be interesting to see who the Detroit Lions roll out to start in Week 1.

Bates has proven to make tough kicks under pressure, and he's one of the biggest success stories of the UFL. Michael Badgley has been in the NFL for years, and his experience should count for something in this kicker battle.

Finally, James Turner was the placekicker of Jim Harbaugh's all-conquering Michigan Wolverines side, and he'll be relishing the chance to compete for the kicking job on an NFC powerhouse.

It will be an interesting battle for the starting kicking job in Detroit. So, while we are still determining whether Jake Bates would be the Lions' starter, we're sure he'll put up a decent fight to win the spot.