Titans Promote K Michael Badgley, S Bradley McDougald; Sam Ficken Lands On IR
Like the Texans, the Titans will need their recently added practice squad kicker to contribute immediately. Tennessee placed Sam Ficken on IR on Saturday and promoted Michael Badgley.
The Titans signed Badgley to their practice squad Friday. The former Chargers specialist will suit up against the Cardinals in Week 1. Ficken will not be eligible to begin his season until Week 4. The Titans added their top kicker to their injury report Friday; a groin injury will sideline Ficken to start the year.
This move complicates the Titans’ kicker situation yet again. After a Ryan Succop injury led to a host of kickers suiting up for the Titans in 2019, leading to a historically bad 8-for-18 collective make rate, the Titans signed Stephen Gostkowski last year. The ex-Patriot made just 69% of his field goal tries. The Titans also added Randy Bullock, who worked out for the team Friday, to their practice squad. The Lions cut Bullock, a longtime Bengals kicker, last month.
Badgley kicked in 34 Chargers games over the past three years but could not beat out a younger competitor, Tristan Vizcaino, in training camp. The Texans promoted recent P-squad addition Joey Slye to their active roster Saturday as well, with Ka’imi Fairbairn also on IR with a groin ailment. Badgley auditioned for the Texans, but they went with Slye.
Additionally, the Titans promoted Bradley McDougald and MyCole Pruitt to their active roster. Tennessee signed McDougald earlier this summer but demoted the veteran safety to its P-squad earlier this week. Pruitt is back with the Titans after the 49ers released him on cutdown day.
Titans To Add K Michael Badgley To P-Squad
After working out for the Texans earlier this week, Michael Badgley landed a gig with another AFC South team. The Titans are signing the former Chargers kicker to their practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Badgley lost his job to second-year kicker Tristan Vizcaino in camp but may have a chance to resurface soon. The Titans have experienced issues at kicker over the past two seasons and are going with another new one, former Jet Sam Ficken, to start this year. Ficken, however, is dealing with a groin injury that had him limited in Friday’s practice.
The Bolts’ kicker for most of the past three seasons, Badgley made nearly 94% of his attempts as a rookie in 2018 — including a 59-yarder — but saw that number dip to 72.7% in 2020. The Chargers kept Badgley on their active roster in 2019, despite an eight-game injury absence to start the year, when the NFL utilized stricter IR rules. But they did not greenlight a fourth season, going instead with Vizcaino, who has one career game under his belt.
Badgley, 26, worked out for the Texans this week, but the team went with ex-Panther Joey Slye. Slye will now fill in for an injured Ka’imi Fairbairn to start the season. Badgley will represent Ficken insurance and in-house competition.
Ficken, 28, kicked in 15 games for the Jets in 2019 and in nine last year. A former Greg Zuerlein injury replacement in Los Angeles, Ficken landed in Tennessee via waiver claim in early August. Tennessee used Stephen Gostkowski as its kicker last season, but the former Pro Bowler made less than 70% of his field goal tries. In 2019, the Titans endured a historically bad kicking campaign, using five kickers and seeing that quintet go a combined 8-for-18.
Texans Work Out Michael Badgley, Joey Slye
The Texans auditioned free agent kickers Joey Slye and Michael Badgley, according to Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790. Current kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn is still expected to play against the Jaguars, but Slye or Badgley could get the call if any issues arise.
As evidenced by Matt Rhule trying 65- and 67-yard yard field goals against the Saints and Chiefs last season, Slye has one of the strongest legs in the NFL. This year, however, he lost out on the kicking competition. Over the last two years, he’s made 54-of-68 FGs while going 64-of-71 on XPs.
Badgley, meanwhile, has appeared in 36 games for the Chargers over the last three years. He’s nailed 52-of-65 of his field goal attempts with 82-of-86 extra points made.
In other Texans news, Tyrod Taylor will begin the year as the team’s starting quarterback. He’ll be backstopped by rookie Davis Mills while Deshaun Watson remains in professional limbo.
Chargers Trim Roster To 53
The Chargers waived 16 players today, reducing their roster to 53 players. The team made the following transactions
Waived
- K Michael Badgley
- WR Michael Bandy
- RB Darius Bradwell
- CB John Brannon
- DL Cortez Broughton
- LB Cole Christiansen
- DB Ben DeLuca
- LB Emeke Egbule
- DL Breiden Fehoko
- LB Joe Gaziano
- OG Nate Gilliam
- OG Ryan Hunter
- WR Tyron Johnson
- TE Hunter Kampmoyer
- WR Jason Moore
- WR Joe Reed
It’s a bit surprising that the organization is moving on from Johnson considering his solid season in 2020. The 2019 undrafted free agent finished his second professional season with 23 touches for 415 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. The 25-year-old also got some run on special teams, including six kick returns.
Badgley was another notable cut, which we explored in depth earlier today.
Chargers To Cut Michael Badgley
The Money Badger era in Los Angeles is over. The Chargers are cutting kicker Michael Badgley, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
It appears that Tristan Vizcaino has won the competition to be Los Angeles’ starting kicker this season. A 2018 UDFA from Miami, Badgley had a lot of success as a rookie after he was signed by the Chargers midway through the year, and it initially looked like they’d found a diamond in the rough. He quickly became a fan favorite while making 15/16 field goals, including a 59-yarder.
In 2019 he missed eight games with an injury, and regressed a bit when on the field. This past season, he regressed a lot more. He struggled the whole season, making only 24 of 33 field goal attempts and 36 of 39 extra points. He missed some crucial kicks, including one at the end of regulation that would’ve given the Chargers a huge win over the Saints early in the season on Monday Night Football.
They went on to lose in overtime. Vizcaino was also a 2018 UDFA and he’s spent a lot of time on offseason rosters, but has only ever kicked in one regular season game. That came last year with the 49ers, when he made all three field goal attempts and both extra points.
Injury Roundup: Hilton, Lions, Bolts, Rams
It’s looking like the Colts‘ passing attack will have to operate without its top weapon Sunday. T.Y. Hilton drew a doubtful designation on Indianapolis’ Friday injury report. He did not practice all week. The eighth-year wideout left the Colts’ Week 3 win with a quadriceps injury, and although the Raiders enter Week 4 ranked 30th in pass defense DVOA, the Colts went 0-2 without Hilton last season. They are already down previous starter Devin Funchess, who sits on IR. The Colts also ruled Darius Leonard out for a second straight week. The All-Pro linebacker remains in concussion protocol.
Here is the latest from the Week 4 injury front:
- Matthew Stafford popped up on the Lions‘ injury report Friday; he’s listed as questionable with a hip malady. While Stafford should be expected to play, given that he’s played through injuries in recent years and holds the league’s third-longest active start streak among QBs with 131, this is a less-than-ideal scenario going into a key inter-conference matchup with the Chiefs. Rookie UDFA David Blough has been Stafford’s backup this season, though Jeff Driskel is now on Detroit’s 53-man roster.
- That matchup will not include Chiefs starting running back Damien Williams, who will miss a second straight game with a knee ailment. LeSean McCoy put together two full practices this week and will likely team up with Darrel Williams, as he did last week, in Detroit.
- Good news for the Rams‘ offense. Sean McVay said both Austin Blythe and Tyler Higbee will be available against the Buccaneers on Sunday, per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Blythe missed Los Angeles’ Week 3 game with a sprained ankle, while Higbee has been sidelined with a lung contusion.
- Another Chargers game will unfold without their primary kicker option. The Bolts ruled out Michael Badgley for a fourth straight contest. Punter Ty Long‘s multipurpose afternoons will continue. Long made both of his field goal tries last week after missing two in Week 2.
- Additionally for the Bolts, they will be without Mike Williams. He’s been declared out with a back injury. Travis Benjamin will head to Miami as doubtful to play, meaning Dontrelle Inman and Geremy Davis stand as the Chargers’ only two healthy auxiliary wideouts. This marks Williams’ second injury of the season. A knee problem plagued the third-year target earlier this month but did not force him to miss any time.
- The Vikings‘ No. 2-ranked rushing attack will be tested in Chicago this week, and right guard starter Josh Kline will not play a part in the NFC North contest. The free agent acquisition will miss Sunday’s game with a concussion that kept him out of practice this week. This will end Kline’s 49-start streak. Veteran Dakota Dozier will start, per Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Dozier has started eight games in his six-season career, which included a Week 2 start in place of Pat Elflein.
AFC Notes: McLaurin, Bolts, Steelers, Roby
Had the Raiders not traded for Antonio Brown (or had they known he wouldn’t last the summer with them), Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes they would have “definitely” drafted a wide receiver early (subscription required). The Raiders did not take a wideout until Hunter Renfrow in Round 5, but Tafur adds they were “in love” with Ohio State’s Terry McLaurin. Washington nabbed McLaurin in Round 3, and he’s quickly risen to the role of the team’s top aerial threat. In adding Brown, Tyrell Williams, J.J. Nelson and Ryan Grant, Oakland went the veteran route to patch up its receiver needs. It seems a good bet the Raiders will look to bring more rookie help at this position in 2020.
Here is the latest from the AFC:
- It looks like the Chargers will be without their kicker for a third straight week. Los Angeles has listed Michael Badgley as doubtful to face the Texans. This will point to a third Ty Long kicking assignment. After being named AFC special teams player of the week in Week 1, the Bolts’ punter missed two field goals in their loss to the Lions.
- When the Chargers face the Texans, they will see a reconfigured cornerback corps. After spending five years as a boundary corner with the Broncos, Bradley Roby is now the Texans’ slot defender. The Texans cut slot incumbent Aaron Colvin after Week 1 and have moved second-round pick Lonnie Johnson into the starting lineup at outside corner, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes. Houston gave Roby a one-year, $10MM deal. This slot assignment now serves as a critical component in another Roby contract year.
- As Mason Rudolph makes his first start, the Steelers are going with their younger receivers. Pittsburgh’s Week 2 benching of Donte Moncrief will continue into Week 3, with Mark Kaboly of The Athletic indicating James Washington and rookie Diontae Johnson will play ahead of the underperforming veteran against the 49ers (subscription required). Washington and Johnson will primarily play on the outside, with JuJu Smith-Schuster manning the slot. Given a two-year, $9MM deal, Moncrief has dropped five passes through two games.
Injury Notes: Foles, Ansah, Badgley
Nick Foles, who remains out indefinitely due to a broken left clavicle bone that was suffered last week against the Chiefs, had surgery this past Monday. During the procedure, Foles had plate and screws utilized while fixing the clavicle to ensure long-term health, and a source said it was a clean, straight-forward break, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
In preparation for his return, Foles will have multiple scans before setting foot on the field, with all parties wary of a re-break. Assuming everything heals properly, he’ll begin practicing the week before the Houston game in Week 9, then have the bye, then be back with the Jaguars Week 11.
Filling in for Foles is rookie Gardner Minshaw, who was named the league’s Rookie of the Week for his admirable performance against the Chiefs last week. Minshaw will remain the starter for the foreseeable future.
Lets’ check out some more injury notes from around the NFL:
- Seahawks defensive end Ezekiel Ansah is not playing today against the Steelers, but is fully expected to make his return next week against the Saints, tweets Rapaport. Ansah, who was originally expected to be ready for Week 1, is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
- Chargers kicker Michael Badgley is not playing today against the Lions, but is expected to return next week against the Texans, tweets Rapaport. Badgley, who is battling a groin injury that he suffered during Friday’s practice last week, was signed last year to replace veteran Caleb Sturgis.
Chargers To Cut K Caleb Sturgis
The Chargers will release kicker Caleb Sturgis, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To replace him, the teams plans to promote Michael Badgley from the practice squad. 
The move hardly comes as a surprise after Sturgis missed a field goal and two extra points against the Seahawks on Sunday. It was his first game back from a quad injury, but even before that, he missed three field goals and four extra points.
While Sturgis was out, Badgley nailed all three of his field goal tries and went 7-for-7 on extra points, so they have reason to trust the 23-year-old over the veteran. His first assignment as the team’s “full-time” kicker will come on Sunday against the Raiders.
Despite Sturgis’ struggles, the Chargers pulled out a 25-17 win over the Seahawks. Riding a five game win streak, they now stand at 6-2 and have a real chance at catching the Chiefs for the divisional lead.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/31/18
Here are the practice squad decisions teams have made on Halloween:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Gabe Holmes, DT Vincent Valentine.
- Released: DT Pasoni Tasini, TE Andrew Vollert
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Taveze Calhoun
- Cut: CB Deante Burton
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Robert Jackson
- Cut: DB Arrion Springs
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DE Alex Barrett
- Cut: TE Jerome Cunningham
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Lavon Coleman
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: K Michael Badgley
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed DL Ifeadi Odenigbo
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Jeremy Boykins