Jake Bates Drops Bombshell About Longest Field Goal He’s Ever Made

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has already proven he possesses one of the strongest legs in professional football, but his latest revelation might leave even the most diehard Lions fans shaking their heads.

During a recent appearance on the St. Brown Podcast , Bates revealed that he once connected on a field goal from approximately 75 yards while practicing with the Michigan Panthers of the UFL.

Now, before Lions fans start demanding that Dan Campbell send Bates onto the field for an NFL-record attempt, there is one important detail worth mentioning.

Still, the story behind that incredible kick is almost as remarkable as the distance itself. Especially when you consider that Bates went his entire high school and college careers without making a single field goal in a game.

Jake Bates Reveals Incredible 75-Yard Field Goal

During the interview, Bates was asked about the longest field goal he had ever made in practice. His answer certainly didn't disappoint.

"Probably like 75, with some wind at your back," Bates said during his appearance on the St. Brown Podcast . "You start feeling a little good, and you just start swinging for the fences."

Bates explained that the kick wasn't part of a structured practice drill. Instead, he and some teammates were simply having fun testing how far he could kick the football.

"I haven't really backed it up like that in a long time, but probably something like that," Bates continued. "I remember doing that in practice in the UFL. We were kind of screwing off on the field next to the practice field, just seeing how far we could swing at it."

Imagine casually messing around after practice and launching a football through the uprights from three-quarters of the length of the field.

Most kickers would be thrilled to make a 60-yarder. Bates apparently decided to see what happened when he kept backing up.

Bates' First Made Field Goal Came From 64 Yards

Perhaps the most incredible part of Bates' story is that his famous 64-yard game-winning field goal with the Michigan Panthers wasn't just the longest kick of his career at the time.

It was the first field goal he had ever successfully made in an actual game.

During the podcast, Bates explained that his football career began in unusual fashion.

"In high school, I joined the football team late my senior year after I had already committed to UCA, just because I had a couple friends on the team," Bates recalled. "Their kicker was pretty good, so I was like, 'I'll just kick off.'"

Bates wasn't exaggerating about his limited field-goal experience. He revealed that he attempted only two field goals in high school.

"I just kicked off, but they let me do long field goals, and I missed a 39 and a 47. I was 0-for-2 in high school."

That's right. The man who would eventually become an NFL kicker couldn't connect from 39 or 47 yards during his brief high school football career.

And things didn't change much when he reached college, where he continued handling kickoffs rather than serving as a traditional field-goal kicker.

Bates also mentioned making an extra point during a Houston Texans preseason appearance, but his spectacular 64-yarder with the Panthers remained his first successful field goal in a competitive game.

"That was the first one I had ever made," Bates explained. "There was a lot of wind in those games, though, but they were ugly kicks."

Not exactly the background you would expect from someone who eventually made it to the NFL.

Jake Bates' Longest Field Goal With Detroit Lions

Bates' remarkable UFL performance helped him earn an opportunity with the Lions, and he has since established himself as a reliable NFL kicker.

During the interview, he was asked about his longest successful field goal in the NFL.

That 59-yard field goal came during Detroit's 2025 season and remains his NFL career long, according to the Lions' official player statistics .

When asked whether his 64-yard UFL field goal remained the longest successful kick of his professional game career, Bates confirmed that it did.

"Yeah. I've had two chances at deep ones."

He also admitted that his unforgettable 64-yard kick had a little more distance available.

That's a pretty entertaining understatement from a guy who once blasted a ball through the uprights from approximately 75 yards in practice.

As we recently covered following Detroit's victory over Green Bay , the Lions continue preparing for another major NFC North matchup, and having a kicker with Bates' range gives Campbell an additional weapon in close games.

Of course, making a field goal from 75 yards with the wind at your back during a relaxed practice session is much different from attempting one with NFL defenders charging toward you.

But it does provide a pretty fascinating glimpse at just how much power Bates possesses.

From going 0-for-2 in high school to drilling a 64-yard game-winner on his first successful field-goal attempt, Bates has already enjoyed one of football's most unlikely journeys.

And if the Lions ever find themselves needing an absolutely ridiculous field goal with the wind blowing in the right direction, at least they know their kicker has tried something like it before.