NFL Player News

Badgley is the only kicker listed in the Chargers' group of specialists for this year's training camp.

Badgley was limited to just eight games last season due to a groin injury, but he's been very good when healthy. The 25-year-old has converted 28 of 32 field-goal attempts and 46 of 47 extra-point tries across 18 regular-season games, making him a reliable commodity that doesn't require competition to push him ahead of the coming campaign.

Carlson is the only kicker on the Raiders' roster after the team waived Dominik Eberle earlier this month.

Carlson currently doesn't have direct competition for his job, but if his prior inconsistencies flare up during training camp, it wouldn't be a surprise if Las Vegas considered other options. In his second professional season last year, Carlson made just 19 of 26 field-goal attempts and missed two of 36 extra-point tries.

McLaughlin has done well in the Colts' kicking competition thus far, Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star reports.

McLaughlin is competing with rookie Rodrigo Blankenship to replace future Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri ahead of the upcoming campaign. Despite being pitted against Blankenship, who joins the Colts after a prolific college career at Georgia, McLaughlin has helped mentor the undrafted kicker early in camp. According to coach Frank Reich, both players have fared well while being tested in a variety of ways thus far, so it'll be worthwhile to monitor whether one kicker gains a leg up in the coming weeks.

Bass intensified the Bills' kicking competition with a strong performance in Thursday's practice, Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News reports.

Bass is currently aiming to displace veteran kicker Stephen Hauschka ahead of his first NFL season. Although the sixth-rounder started the week with a few misses, his powerful leg was on display Thursday, when he converted six of seven field-goal attempts, including a couple from over 50 yards. In contrast, the 35-year-old Hauschka missed all three of his tries from that range, adding intrigue as the two continue to battle throughout training camp.

Coach Dan Quinn said that there is no firm plan to bring in a second kicker to compete with Koo during training camp, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

Quinn conceded that during a season played amidst a pandemic, it's especially crucial to have a contingency plan at every position. The coach mentioned that the Falcons may conduct workouts to "see where we're at" in terms of the kicker and punter positions, but he also stated that the team has been satisfied with Koo's performance thus far in camp. Koo put forth a solid showing during his debut campaign as Atlanta's place kicker in 2019, going 23-for-26 on field-goal attempts and 15-for-16 on extra-point tries.

Gay, who is battling Elliott Fry for the placekicking job, was perfect on all of his attempts in Tuesday's practice, Carmen Vitali of the team's official site reports.

The Buccaneers opted to bring in some competition for their second-year kicker after his rough finish to the 2019 campaign, one which saw five of his last eight field-goal attempts either miss their mark or get blocked. Gay had put together an impressive rookie campaign prior to that late-season downturn, however, so he should still have a leg up on Fry, who's yet to kick in an NFL regular-season game. Nevertheless, he may be in for a spirited job battle, considering the latter was also flawless in his kicks Tuesday.

Blankenship and Chase McLaughlin are in a tight battle for the Colts' starting kicker job, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

McLaughlin made the rounds last year, playing a handful of games with the Chargers and 49ers, but he ultimately ended the year by suiting up for four games with the Colts. During that stretch, he connected on five of six field goals, including two from beyond 50 yards. That may give him a modest incumbent's edge in this kicking competition, but Blankenship has reportedly won a few days during training camp as well. Blankenship, a Georgia product, converted on 82 percent of his field goals and 100 percent of his extra points in his senior year of college before signing with the Colts in April. It'll be tough to declare a winner without preseason action, so this battle could extend through training camp as the Colts determine Adam Vinatieri's successor.

With the Giants having released Chandler Catanzaro, Gano is now in line to serve as the team's placekicker, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Previously, it appeared as though Gano, who was released by the Panthers at the end of July, would need to compete with Catanzaro, but following Monday's move it looks like he'll serve as the Giants' kicker in 2020, a job held by Aldrick Rosas last season. Gano's fantasy upside is tied to the efficiency of the team's offense, helmed by second-year QB Daniel Jones.

Gano will sign with the Giants once he passes a physical and COVID testing, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Gano was cut by the Panthers on July 30 after losing the kicking competition to Joey Slye, but he didn't stay unemployed long. The 33-year-old Gano last played in 2018 when he connected on 14 of 16 (88 percent) of his field goals. He'll compete with Chandler Catanzaro for the Giants' starting kicker job once the deal is finalized.

With Ramiz Ahmed having been waived, Pineiro is the only kicker on the Bears' roster, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Unless another kicker is brought in by the team, Pineiro will reprise the duties he held last season with the Bears, en route to converting 82 percent of his field-goal tries. His fantasy upside, however, is tied to a Chicago offense that may not yield consistent volume.