Sean McDermott offers Tyler Bass update as Bills kicker enters fourth week on IR

Buffalo Bills' kicker Tyler Bass is nearing the end of the minimum four-week stay on injured reserve, but will the veteran kicker be back when first eligible?

Bass dealt with a pelvic injury during the offseason and was placed on IR ahead of Week 1 with a left hip/groin issue, which forced him to miss the first four games of 2025.

Head coach Sean McDermott was asked about Bass' status as he enters his fourth week on injured reserve and McDermott noted that Bass is making progress.

McDermott, however, would not commit to Bass being activated in Week 5, when he's first eligible.

"Moving in the right direction, but don't know at this point," he said of Bass. "Is it going to be next week? Will it be two weeks? Three weeks? We'll see."

Thankfully, the Bills have gotten strong play out of 41-year-old veteran kicker Matt Prater in Bass' absence.

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Prater has knocked through 8-of-9 field goal attempts and all nine of his extra points, although Prater did cause some concern after missing a 39-yard field goal in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins.

He did, however, go on to redeem himself later on in the game with a 48-yard make in the fourth quarter.

Bills Matt Prater is hoisted on the teams shoulders after his field goal put the Bills ahead 41-40 to beat the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Sept. 7, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Assuming Prater doesn't fall off a cliff, the Bills can afford to take their time with Bass, which is the smart decision considering how plagued by injury he has been dating back to the offseason.

Many have even gone as far as to wonder if Prater might take the job away from Bass entirely, but that would be a risky move on Buffalo's part.

Bass would be scooped up by another team immediately and the Bills would be in rough shape if the long-in-the-tooth Prater goes in the opposite direction and starts rapidly declining.

I fully believe Bass will return to his job when healthy, although it remains to be seen exactly when that will happen.

Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills place kicker Tyler Bass (2) makes a field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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