Ravens Bring In UFL Kicker

The Baltimore Ravens have the best kicker of all time in Justin Tucker, but could they look for an heir?

Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Texans place kicker Jake Bates (49) kicks an extra point against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports | Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens have requested a visit with All-UFL kicker Jake Bates, NFL insider Aaron Wilson reports.

Bates, 24, has garnered the attention of several NFL teams over his time with the UFL's Michigan Panthers this season. In the season-opener against the St. Louis Battlehawks on March 30, Bates drilled a 64-yard-field goal as time expired to give the Panthers the win.

According to Rivals, Bates' 64-yard field goal was the second-longest in professional football history. The only longer one was a 66-yard game-winner by Ravens star Justin Tucker in 2021, which coincidentally also took place at Ford Field in Detroit. What may be the most impressive part is that this game marked his first time ever handling field goal duties, as he was purely a kickoff specialist in college.

Bates made two more extremely long field goals throughout the season, a 62-yarder against the Birmingham Stallions on April 7 and a 60-yarder against the San Antonio Brahmas on May 5. After making 17 of 22 field goals on the season, Bates earned a spot on the inaugural All-UFL team last week.

That's all well and good, but why are the Ravens interested in him? After all, they already have Tucker, who many consider to be the best kicker to ever play.

Maybe as an insurance policy? Perhaps as an heir to the 34-year-old Tucker? Or even as a kickoff specialist to protect Tucker with the new kickoff rules in place? The Ravens' angle here is somewhat hard to get a read on.

Currently, Bates' only NFL experience came during the 2023 preseason with the Houston Texans. Other teams interested in him include the Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.

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