Before He became a kicker for the Detroit Lions and was a standout player for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League.
And before that? He was on the Houston Texans for approximately two weeks in the summer of 2023. In a pre-season game during his tenure, Bates was released after Ka'imi Fairbairn was cleared to train.
Waiver of K Jake Bates.
— Cole Thompson (@MrColeThompson)
The Houston native, known as a football player, secured his place in team history in front of his hometown crowd on Sunday night as the Lions staged a comeback against the Texans with a 26-23 win on Sunday Night Football at NRG Stadium. from the 52-yard slicer.
“He’s hitting as well as anyone in the league right now,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “We see him making these long specimens all the time in practice, so we were pretty aware of his reach. Both looked good from much further away than where they were kicked from. We have great confidence in him.”
Twelve months ago, Bates worked 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Acme Brick in northwest Houston. Fast forward and he's making unerring kicks from 58 yards out to beat the Texans on their turf.
JAKE BATES WALKOFF. 😱
The Lions come back and win it!
– Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC)
“I think it feels almost too scripted; “It’s too good to be true,” Bates said after the game.
Fans in the Motor City recently discovered that Bates was waived by the Texans last year, creating the perfect villain arc upon his return. Even though Fairbairn is one of the league's top players, that hasn't stopped the internet from having fun at Houston's expense.
Lions K Jake Bates was with the Texans in August 2023, long enough to drink a cup of coffee. He was a brick salesman for Acme Bricks in Houston when the Michigan Panthers came calling. He then signed with the Lions and beat the Texans with 52 FGs with no time left.
– John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL)
