The Detroit Lions released kicker Michael Badgley on Thursday.
The Lions also placed rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker (knee), tight end Derrick Deese Jr. (undisclosed) and rookie defensive lineman Zach Morton (undisclosed) on the active/non-football injury list.
Badgley, 27, kicked in one game with the Chicago Bears last season and 12 more with Detroit. He re-signed in March with the Lions, who also traded for Riley Patterson and signed fellow kicker John Parker Romo.
Badgley made 24 of 28 field-goal attempts and all 33 extra-point tries last season. He has converted 94 of 115 field-goal attempts and 155 of 160 extra-point tries in 60 games with the Los Angeles Chargers (2018-20), Indianapolis Colts (2021), Tennessee Titans (2021), Bears (2022) and Lions (2022).
Patterson, 23, made 30 of 35 field-goal attempts and 36 of 37 PATs last season for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Romo, 25, played last season for the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL.
Hooker, 25, was selected by the Lions in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was the fifth quarterback to be drafted, following Alabama’s Bryce Young (No. 1 overall to Carolina), Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud (No. 2 to Houston), Florida’s Anthony Richardson (No. 4 to Indianapolis) and Kentucky’s Will Levis (No. 33 to Tennessee).
Hooker was trending toward being a Heisman Trophy finalist during a second straight stellar season for the Volunteers and wound up fifth in Heisman voting after throwing for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions over 11 games.
However, his 2022 season ended abruptly when he tore the ACL in his left knee in a game against South Carolina on Nov. 19.
Deese played collegiately at San Jose State before joining by the Lions, while Morton — also 24 — played at Akron.
–Field Level Media
