The 2025 NFL season is about to begin for the Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately, Josh Allen’s team suffered a setback with an unexpected injury to a key player, but the club responded with a last-minute replacement for Week 1.
On Friday afternoon, the Bills announced they would be placing kicker Tyler Bass on injured reserve. Bass suffered a left hip/groin injury and will miss at least the first four games of the season.
The abrupt setback was immediately addressed by the team. Two days later, Buffalo elevated Matt Prater from the practice squad as Bass’ replacement for their Week 1 matchup against the Ravens.
Matt Prater looks for a second — and possibly final — chance with the Bills
For many fans, Matt Prater is a future Hall of Famer. He entered the league in 2007 with the Atlanta Falcons, though he only played a handful of games before joining the Denver Broncos later that same year. In Denver, Prater found the perfect place to showcase his powerful leg.
Prater is the NFL’s all-time leader in 50-yard field goals. After his Broncos tenure, he enjoyed several strong years with the Detroit Lions, but age has begun to take its toll.
The veteran kicker, now 41, spent the past four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. While he had a decent run in Arizona, he was limited to just four games last year — though he converted all six of his field goal attempts.
Now, Prater has become a last-minute solution for the Bills. While Bass is expected to return after four games, Buffalo needs Prater to deliver the consistency he was once known for to ensure special teams don’t become an issue at the start of the season.