Sean McDermott provides clarity for Bills' kicking situation in Week 17 vs. Eagles

The Buffalo Bills won't have their main kicker Matt Prater available when the Philadelphia Eagles visit Orchard Park on December 28

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills kicker Michael Badgley (32) watches his missed extra point with holder Mitch Wishnowsky (19) during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills have ruled out veteran kicker Matt Prater for the second game in a row, and they'll need to reach down to the practice squad for a Week 17 replacement.

In the week leading into the December 21 road game against the Cleveland Browns, the Bills signed free agent Michael Badgley as insurance for Prater, who came away from the December 14 victory with a calf injury.

The Bills used one of their two Week 16 gameday elevations on Badgley, and the 30-year-old New Jersey product handled the kicking duties in the 23-20 win over the Browns. In a rather unimpressive debut Bills' debut, Badgley missed an extra point and failed to hit the landing zone on a kickoff, which resulted in favorable field position for Cleveland.

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Buffalo hosted three free-agent kickers for tryouts this past Tuesday, but elected not to sign any of the three.

It all points to Badgley receiving another opportunity as a practice squad call-up when the Bills host the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on December 28 at 4:25 p.m. ET.

Detroit Lions place kicker Michael Badgley (17) attempts a field goal against Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Sean McDermott's assessment

While Badgley made two errors that could've proven costly, Bills' head coach Sean McDermott chose to highlight his 41-yard field goal that accounted for Buffalo's lone second-half points.

"It's never easy to come into a team, especially late in the year," said McDermott during his weekly Friday appearance on WGR 550's Extra Point Show. "There were some kicks that he made that I thought were good kicks for us, in particular the field goal in the third or fourth quarter there that he made."

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Essentially acknowledging that Badgley will again handle kicking duties against the Eagles, McDermott mentioned the veteran's confidence.

"It's important that someone's confidence is where it needs to be," said McDermott. "He knows that that's where he has to get to, and we're going to help him with that."

More on Badgley's background

Since beginning his NFL tenure with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018, Badgley has kicked in regular season games for six different teams, including Buffalo.

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Badgley has connected on 109 career field goals over 72 appearances. He holds an 83.2 percent conversion rate, and his career long is 59 yards.

In seven games with the Indianapolis Colts this season, Badgley made 10 of 11 field goals but failed on three PATs.

Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, Germany; Indianapolis Colts place kicker Michael Badgley (12) kicks a field goal against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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