Tyler Bass got back on the field Saturday, and the Buffalo Bills gave him plenty to do.
In Buffalo’s 29-14 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers, the kicker looked like a player trying to shake off a long layoff and settle back into his rhythm before Week 1. Bass, who missed the entire 2025 season because of hip and groin injuries, handled three field-goal tries and two extra points in his return.
He made field goals from 29, 33 and 46 yards, and he was perfect on both extra-point attempts. The one blemish came in the second quarter, when a 45-yard try drifted wide right.
That miss didn’t keep him down for long, and Bass said afterward that getting back out there mattered.
"It felt good," Bass said, via the Bills' website. "I've been working really hard, so it felt good. I was just embracing it… [thinking,] 'swing the same, do the same thing you did at practice, at the game.'"
Bass also said he wants to "clean up" his procedure on the miss, explaining that he got ahead of himself and pushed the ball.
"I was just quick," Bass said. "It's something I want to clean up.
I was just a little ahead of it, and ended up just pushing it. But I was happy to get a few more opportunities after, to clean that up."
Buffalo had Matt Prater covering the job last season, and he delivered solid numbers in Bass’ absence, hitting 18 of 20 field goals and 46 of 49 extra points.
Bass now gets another tune-up before the regular season, with the Bills set to travel to face the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. He said he’ll feel more at home once Buffalo gives him more chances to kick.
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