Michael Badgely - Commanders K
A kicking competition is brewing in the nation’s capital as the Washington Commanders continue its unrelenting search for consistency in the kicking game. Returning placekicker Joey Slye is possibly on thin ice with the franchise after struggling with his accuracy throughout last fall.
Slye converted a solid 83.3 percent of his 2022 field goal attempts but was a disaster on extra points, missing four on the season and owning a career percentage of just 87.6% point-afters.
Veteran Michael Badgley was brought in just before training camp to provide competition for Slye. He could represent a potential upgrade.
Badgley played 13 games for the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions in 2022, connecting on 85.7 percent of his field goals and going a perfect 33 of 33 on extra points. Both kickers possess above-average power for the position, each showing impressive leg strength to hit consistently from beyond 50 yards out during their careers.
Practices and preseason action will determine the eventual outcome of this hotly contested competition as Washington resumes their decades-long search for a kicker they can confidently count on in clutch moments.
If Slye continues his struggles from short-range this preseason, Badgley certainly has the accuracy and experience to become the Commanders' new placekicker in short order.