Former Detroit Lions kicker and two-time Pro Bowler Matt Prater has joined the Buffalo Bills practice squad, the team announced Thursday.
Prater, 41, is returning from a torn meniscus in his plant leg that he suffered before Week 5 last season, which ended his stint with the Arizona Cardinals.
The 2013 Second-Team All-Pro spent seven seasons with the Lions (2014–2020) and currently ranks 15th on the NFL’s all-time scoring list with 1,808 points. He originally entered the league with Detroit as an undrafted free agent in 2006 but did not beat out longtime kicker Jason Hanson, leading him to continue tryouts elsewhere.
Prater earned his first starting role in 2008 with the Denver Broncos, quickly becoming one of the league’s top kickers. His standout year came in 2013, when he made 25 of 26 field goals, including a then-record 64-yard field goal that stood until 2021, and went a perfect 75-for-75 on extra points.
After serving a four-game suspension in 2014 for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, Denver released him. He then signed with Detroit, where he played 107 games, hitting 179 of 212 field goals and 231 of 241 extra points. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2016.
In 2021, Prater signed with the Cardinals and remained their primary kicker until last year’s injury. This marks his first practice squad role since 2007.
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