A battle royale is shaping up in Allen Park this offseason for the rights to be the kicker for the Detroit Lions in 2021. After a season where the Lions burned through four kickers for various reasons, three of them are now back on the team and ready to compete for the gig in 2022.
The Lions signed Aldrick Rosas to a reserve/future contract on Monday, tying Rosas to the team through the offseason. Rosas spent one week as the Lions kicker last fall, making one extra point and one field goal in Detroit’s 13-10 loss to Cleveland in Week 11.
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Rosas took over that week for Ryan Santoso, who was dispatched after a brutal game in the tie with the Steelers. Santoso missed an extra point and wildly botched a field goal. He is the only Lions kicker from the 2021 season not with the team any longer.
Rosas joins Riley Patterson, who took over his job in Week 12, and Austin Seibert on the roster. Seibert made 10 of his 12 field goal attempts in the first six games before suffering a hip injury. He remains under contract. Patterson went 13-of-14 on field goals after taking over for Rosas. The 2021 rookie is an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA), meaning the Lions can retain his rights quite inexpensively if they so choose.
One area where Rosas, 27, has a leg up is in kickoffs. Over 60 percent of his kickoffs in his five-year career have been downed for touchbacks. Seibert is at 39 percent in his three NFL seasons, while Patterson ceded kickoff duties to Lions punter Jack Fox.