Once Again, Titans Changing Kickers
NASHVILLE – Here they go again.
The Tennessee Titans need to find a kicker. They released Michael Badgley on Monday, a day after he missed one of two PATs and the only filed goal that he attempted in Sunday’s 38-13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at Nissan Stadium. Both errant kicks went to the left.
Badgley was signed to the practice squad last Friday when Sam Ficken was added to the injury report with a groin injury. Badgley was added to the active roster Saturday when Ficken was placed injured reserve, which means he will miss at least the first three games of this season.
The search for a replacement likely will start with veteran Randy Bullock, who was added to the practice squad Saturday when Badgley was put on the active roster. It also could include Stephen Gostkowski, the Titans’ kicker in 2020 who lives in town.
“[We will] determine who we feel like will make them,” coach Mike Vrabel said Monday. “… We’ll take a look at some guys working out. (Bullock) is on the practice squad. Find somebody that we think’s going to make them and protect for him. That’s the plan.”
Also Monday, the Titans added tight end MyCole Pruitt and safety Bradley McDougald to the active roster from the practice squad. Tight end Tommy Hudson was released. Tackle Christian DiLauro was re-signed to the practice squad, linebacker Joe Jones was signed to the practice squad and linebacker Jan Johnson was released from the practice squad.
Bullock, 31, is a nine-year veteran who has appeared in at least one game for five different NFL franchises. The majority of his experience came in four-plus seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals (20116-20) and three-plus seasons with the Houston Texans (2012-15). For his career, he has made 83.2 percent of his field goal attempts (168 of 202) and 95.6 percent of his PATs (215 of 225).
He is 17th among active players with 719 career points and in field goal percentage. He ranks 15th in field goals made and 16th in extra points made.
Whether it is Bullock or someone else, whoever kicks Sunday at Seattle will be the eighth different player since the start of 2019 to do the job for the Titans.
Tennessee used four kickers in 2019, and those four -- Ryan Succop, Cairo Santos, Cody Parkey and Greg Joseph -- combined to make eight of 18 field goal attempts. Stephen Gostkowski had the job for the first 15 games of 2020 and missed a career-high eight field goal attempts. Sam Sloman had the job for the 2020 finale when Gostkowski was on the Reserve-COVID 19 list.
Badgley missed just four times in 32 field goal tries over 18 games with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 and 2019. Last year, he was the Chargers' kicker for all 16 games and missed nine of 33 (his success rate was 72.7 percent). He lost the job this year in a training camp battle. Now, he has lost his spot with the Titans in much less time.
