The Detroit Lions have added some Jake Bates insurance, with the team signing veteran kicker Greg Joseph to the practice squad.
The new comes from Joseph’s agent, Brett Tessler. This will be the third NFC North team Joseph has joined, as he also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.
Joseph was signed by the Packers earlier this offseason and made it through final cuts but was released the following day. Green Bay ultimately decided to roll with rookie kicker Brayden Narveson, who was claimed off waivers.
Joseph spent the past three seasons with the Vikings and posted a field goal success rate of 82.6% in that span. In 2023, Joseph made 80% of his field goals and 36-of-38 extra points (94.7%).
The Detroit Lions just signed my kicker Greg Joseph to their practice squad. 7-year vet was last with Green Bay and spent three prior seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.
— Brett Tessler (@TesslerSports) September 10, 2024
Prior to his stint in Minnesota, Joseph played in 14 games for the Cleveland Browns in 2018, where he made 85% of his field goals. He then played in two games for the Titans in 2019 but did not attempt a field goal.
Bates was signed by the Lions in June and was supposed to compete with Michael Badgley for the starting job before the veteran suffered a season-ending injury. The Lions didn’t sign another kicker after that and Bates ultimately did enough to secure the job entering the 2024 campaign.
After an up-and-down offseason, Bates made each of his two field goals in Week 1, including a clutch 32-yarder to send the game against the Los Angeles Rams into overtime. The Lions went on to win, 26-20.
While Bates is off to a good start, he’s anything but a certainty thanks to his limited experience in the NFL. The Lions needed to give themselves a kicker to fall back on, and Joseph is a solid option to have.
