The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions figure to be fighting for the top two spots in the NFC North in 2024. The Lions had a record breaking season last year that saw them fall just three points shy of reaching their first ever Super Bowl.
The Packers, on the other hand, fell three points shy of a meeting with the Lions in the NFC Championship. Both organizations feel great heading into the 2024 season, however, they seem to be battling over the same free agent for the upcoming season.
The Green Bay Packers And Detroit Lions Currently Battling Over The Same Free Agent

Our very own Jordan Sigler originally reported on this free agent:
According to Aaron Wilson with KPRC, the Packers requested to host All-UFL kicker Jake Bates for a visit. The Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, and Baltimore Ravens have also requested to visit with the UFL star.
Bates had a stellar year for the Michigan Panthers. He went 17/22 on field goals during the regular season. His long was from 64 yards. The Arkansas standout was initially signed by the Houston Texans in 2023 but was released during training camp last year.
Bates had a lot of use during the Panthers’ 31-18 loss to the Birmingham Stallions on Saturday. He went 4/6 on field goals, including nailing a 53-yard kick. Bates did have a miscue on a kickoff in the second quarter. He kicked the ball out of bounds following a score, which would give the Stallions the ball at the 50-yard line. The Stallions would score a touchdown on the next play.
Will The Packers Sign Yet Another Kicker This Off-Season?

Packers fans are familiar with Carlson’s incredibly inconsistent rookie season. Even though Carlson’s 81.8% field goal percentage last season is slightly better than Crosby’s caareer percentage (81.2%), he struggled on extra points and from distances that shouldn’t have been a problem.
Last season, Carlson made just 87.2% of his extra point attempts. In addition, he made just 4/8 field goal attempts from 40-49 yards. As a matter of fact, Carlson missed at least one kick in 10 of his last 12 games, including in the NFL Playoffs.
In addition to Carlson, the Packers signed undrafted free agent Jack Podlesny and former Minnesota Vikings kicker Greg Joseph this spring. Carlson appears to be responding to teh competition well and kicking the heck out of the ball during OTAs so far. After last season, however, the Packers want to make sure they do not make the same mistakes again.
It will be interesting to see how hard the Packers pursue Jake Bates.
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