With Matt Prater’s injury status taking a negative turn because of a quad injury, former Indianapolis Colts kicker Michael Badgley has landed with the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo signed Badgley to their practice squad on Tuesday, one day after head coach Sean McDermott confirmed Prater would miss Week 16.
With Prater sidelined, Badgley is “in line to be elevated” for Sunday’s road game against the Cleveland Browns, per a report from Tom Pelissero on X, formerly Twitter.
The move comes less than three weeks after the Colts released Badgley on December 2 — ending a short but tense late-season stint in Indianapolis.
A Rough End With Colts
Badgley’s exit from the Colts followed a 20–16 Week 13 loss to the Houston Texans, a game defined by thin margins. He missed an extra point in the second quarter that loomed large late, cutting into a margin that never recovered. Over his final three appearances with the Colts, Badgley missed three extra points and one field goal.
Despite that finish, Badgley’s production in Indianapolis was efficient. Across seven games, he went 10-for-11 on field goals (91 percent), perfect from 40–49 yards, and 2-for-3 from 50–59. Dating back to 2021, he’s converted 56 of 65 attempts for 86 percent overall. The problem wasn’t leg strength — it was reliability in routine moments. Extra points, expected to be automatic, became a liability late in games. Badgley finished 18-for-21 on PATs this season.
Indianapolis signed Blake Grupe almost immediately after releasing Badgley. Grupe has gone perfect through his first two appearances, including a 60-yard field goal late in Week 15 vs. the Seattle Seahawks.
A Fresh Start For Bills
For Badgley, the Bills offer a quick reset. Buffalo worked out two kickers Tuesday before selecting him over Matthew Wright. Experience tipped the scale. Since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018, Badgley has appeared in 71 NFL games, converting 108 of 130 field goal attempts (83 percent) and 186 of 196 extra points (94.9 percent).
Buffalo is looking for stability while Prater recovers. If elevated, Badgley will kick outdoors in Cleveland against a Browns defense that has limited red-zone scoring opportunities this season. Points will be at a premium, and Badgley has handled high-pressure December situations before.
From Indianapolis’ perspective, this move reinforces a familiar NFL truth: teams don’t release capable kickers due to talent. The Colts reached that point first. Grupe’s early success has stabilized the position and eased the mental load on special teams.
For Buffalo, the calculus is different but familiar. Badgley’s experience, combined with a short runway and a defined role, gives him a chance to restore reliability and confidence for another AFC team.
Badgley didn’t stay on the market for long. One team’s loss became another’s immediate solution. For Colts fans, it’s confirmation that their late-season kicker reset was about timing, not talent. For the Bills, it could be the steadying hand they need at this point of the season.
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