Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott informed reporters Monday afternoon that kicker Matt Prater will be out for Buffalo’s Week 16 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Prater is dealing with what McDermott described as a quad injury, and Buffalo’s kicker will be considered “week-to-week” in the immediate future.
McDermott revealed that he had just discovered Prater’s injury on Monday. Against the New England Patriots in Week 15, Prater went 5-of-5 on extra points during the comeback win. He wasn’t
tasked with attempting a field goal, but he did kick for each of the team’s post-scoring (and opening) kickoff plays.
The immediate question that comes to mind is where One Bills Drive will turn to next. Remember that long-entrenched kicker Tyler Bass is not an option. To that end, McDermott concretely ruled out Bass, stating that he’s “not an option” after having surgery. That means Buffalo will be forced to look elsewhere for a fill-in while Prater recovers.
Let’s take a quick look at potential options that carry some name value…
Week 16 kicker options for the Buffalo Bills
Michael Badgley: He played for the Indianapolis Colts earlier in 2025, but was released after poor performance. He has played for several other teams since and could get accustomed quickly to another fill-in role.
Dustin Hopkins: Buffalo’s 2013 sixth-round draft pick who was ousted by Dan Carpenter after an injury in his rookie season. Hopkins kicked in 16 games for the Cleveland Browns in 2024, but he made just 66.7% of his kicks.
Cade York: He’s currently with the New Orleans Saints, but likely to be released after stellar performances from Northern Ireland’s Charlie Smyth.
Justin Tucker: This would be a long shot simply from a moral standpoint and the public relations nightmare. The Bills would be wise to stay away, to be honest. Tucker has worked out for NFL teams this season, and could still be an option.
Ray Davis: Davis is Buffalo’s emergency kicker. He successfully kicked an extra point in a preseason game earlier this year against the New York Giants.
Dan Carpenter: Seriously. Why not kick the tires? He’s only 40. Well, Carpenter hasn’t kicked in an NFL games since 2016.
The 41-year-old Prater has done very well as a stand-in for Bass, going 18-of-20 on field goals and 43-of-46 on extra points. Prater’s only “crucial” miss was the extra point in the first half against the Houston Texans, which the Bills’ offense had a few opportunities to remedy. While efficient, Buffalo’s potent offense and scoring touchdowns while going for it on fourth down has allowed Prater to be the least-tested kicker in the NFL. Currently, the Bills are last in field goal attempts and attempts over 50 yards.
The lack of attempts should help take pressure off whoever is kicking in place of Prater, but with a crucial stretch of games all played in cold weather environments and the playoffs looming, One Bills Drive needs to hope Prater isn’t out for long.
