The kicker known as the Money Badger has found his way to another paycheck in the NFL.
Michael Badgley is headed back to the Detroit Lions on a one-year deal, according to his agent, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday. The team later confirmed the signing.
Badgley appeared in four games for the Lions in 2023, but only after he spent most of the regular season on the practice squad, stuck behind Riley Patterson. When Patterson missed two extra points in three games, Detroit decided to make the change to Badgley, who converted all four of his field goal attempts (and 13 of 15 extra points) in the final month of the regular season.
Badgley went a perfect 3 for 3 on field goals and 11 for 11 on point-after attempts in a postseason run that saw the Lions reach the NFC Championship Game. He saw the most attention, though, when roped into the debate over coach Dan Campbell's decisions to go for it on fourth down on a couple of occasions in the Lions' loss to the 49ers in the conference title game.
Historically, Badgley has made 37 of 48 attempts from 40-49 yards out, the range in which he would have been asked to attempt both field goals in that game. His relative unreliability from that distance was used by many to justify Campbell's decisions in those situations, drawing negative attention toward a kicker who didn't miss a field goal in seven games.
Detroit has ignored this detail, accepted the repercussions of their coach's decision and acknowledged Badgley's production during a time of need. He'll now get the first chance to own the starting job for a Lions team that is expected to battle among the elites in 2024.
