What Happened to Tyler Bass, and When Will He Return? Latest on the Bills Kicker and His Replacement Matt Prater
The Buffalo Bills are kicking off Week 12 as they face the Houston Texans on “Thursday Night Football.” Moreover, the Bills need to secure a win on the road against a Texans team that has won back-to-back games to reach 5-5.
Buffalo is in the middle of a tight division race with the New England Patriots leading the AFC East, and at least against Houston, the Bills will be without a key part of their special teams for another week.
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Tyler Bass Continues to Miss Games for the Bills
The Bills still have not had kicker Tyler Bass on the field this season, heading into Week 12. He apparently picked up an injury sometime between then and the start of the year, which led to a stint on injured reserve.
Buffalo listed it as a left hip and groin issue, and he has not appeared in a game since. Bass has been eligible to return from injured reserve since Week five, but that move has not happened yet, leaving plenty of uncertainty around where things stand.
“No, no,” McDermott said on October 31 when asked if Bass is close to returning. “He’s doing a really good job though of being a true pro, working, getting himself ready to go. So we’re just [taking it] one day and really one week at a time.”
Matt Prater Has Filled in Perfectly for the Bills
The Bills, who are currently ranked second in PFSN’s Offense Impact (OFFi), have overcome a significant hurdle in the kicking game despite Bass not playing for the entire season so far. While other teams in the NFL have struggled with kickers, Buffalo found a reliable option in Matt Prater.
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Prater has made 13 of 15 field goals (86.7 percent) and 31 of 32 extra points since coming on board to start the 2025 season with the Bills. Moreover, his success so far raises questions about Bass’ job security as Buffalo’s kicker.
Tyler Bass’ Future in Buffalo Could Be in Doubt
Bass had his two best years in 2021 and 2022, but he has struggled a bit in the past two seasons. Now, after his injury-plagued 2025, it will be interesting to see if the Bills decide to hold on to Bass after this season.
Perhaps it might not be Prater, but the Bills’ front office could decide to re-evaluate their kicker position in the offseason. Bass has two years remaining on his four-year, $20.4 million contract, but with no guaranteed money attached, he stands out as an obvious candidate to get cut.
However, since Prater is 41 years old, the Bills could continue to stick with Bass, who will turn 29 in February of next year.
