The Buffalo Bills announced two roster moves ahead of their season-opening date with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, elevating kicker Matt Prater and offensive lineman Kendrick Green from the practice squad. Both players will have two practice squad elevations remaining for the season.
Prater, 41, is set to replace Buffalo’s usual kicker, Tyler Bass. Bass was placed on injured reserve on Friday due to a lingering groin issue. The team initially termed Bass’ injury “pelvic-area soreness,” but
when he appeared on the injury report this week, they called it a left hip/groin injury.
Prater is a longtime NFL veteran who began his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. He spent seven seasons each with the Denver Broncos and the Detroit Lions before joining the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. He nailed all six of his field goal attempts and all ten of his point-after attempts in four games. In practice before Arizona’s fifth game, Prater suffered a meniscus tear in the left leg, an injury which ultimately ended his season.
Prater is extremely accurate, as he’s hit 84% of his field goals and 97% of his extra points over his career, and he also has ridiculous leg strength. His career-long kick was a then-NFL record 64-yard boot in 2013, but he made a 62-yard kick at age 39 during the 2023 season.
Green, 26, spent the offseason with the Bills. He is primarily a center, though he also plays guard. There are no offensive linemen on Buffalo’s injury report, but second-year man Sedrick Van Pran-Granger did practice this week for the first time since June as he managed a calf injury. Buffalo may not want to risk having someone who is still ramping up be one play away from seeing game action.
