The Detroit Lions have a three-man kicking competition brewing.
The Lions acquired kicker Riley Patterson from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday for a conditional 2026 seventh-round draft pick.
Patterson made 13 of 14 field goals with the Lions in 2021, but lost a camp battle with Austin Seibert for the kicking job last summer.
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The Jaguars claimed Patterson off waivers, and reportedly were set to waive him Thursday after signing former Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus.
The Lions, who waived undrafted rookie receiver Keytaon Thompson to clear space on their 53-man roster, have two other kickers on their roster: Michael Badgley and John Parker Romo.
Badgley made 20 of 24 field goals in 12 games with the Lions last season after Seibert struggled early on.
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The Lions re-signed Badgley to a one-year deal this offseason and added Romo, who spent the spring kicking for the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL, earlier in May after a tryout at rookie minicamp.
Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said Thursday before the trade he liked where the team was with the kicking position.
“I feel really good about the two guys we got right now,” Fipp said. “Badgley, obviously, played well for us a year ago. He’s a very accurate kicker. Might not have some of the leg strength and all that as some of these guys, but then the guy we brought in, John Parker Romo, he’s got a big leg, he’s talented, he’s been really good for us. I think it will be a good competition and excited to see how it plays out.”
Patterson, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings and was signed off for New England Patriots practice squad by the Lions in 2021, made 30 of 35 field goals for the Jaguars last season.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.