Mike Badgley Bio
Michael Badgley, nicknamed “the Money Badger,” is an American professional football placekicker currently listed with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. Born on July 28, 1995, in Summit, New Jersey, he has built a career on accuracy and range since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 188 pounds, Badgley has spent time with multiple franchises and earned recognition as a reliable kicking option. He is also Miami’s all-time leading scorer from his college days with the Hurricanes.
Early Life and Background
Michael Badgley was born on July 28, 1995, in Summit, New Jersey, and grew up in a community that produced multi-sport athletes. He attended Summit High School, where he played hockey, lacrosse, and football, and he won at least one state championship in each of those sports. Badgley captured consecutive NJSIAA group lacrosse championships in 2010 and 2011, and he added an NJSIAA state hockey championship at the Prudential Center in 2012.
At Summit, Badgley was a versatile football player in addition to handling kicking duties. He started on both sides of the ball at defensive back and running back, returned kicks and punts, and filled in at quarterback when needed, completing 18 of 33 passes for 448 yards and seven touchdowns. He set 12 Summit Hilltoppers football records, including a 49-yard longest field goal, 84 kicking points in a season, 67 consecutive point-after touchdowns, and 202 career kicking points. He scored in 34 consecutive games and finished his high school career with 389 points, second only to baseball’s Willie Wilson in Summit’s all-time scoring list. Badgley led Summit to a 12-0 season and the New Jersey state football championship at MetLife Stadium in 2012, playing for head coach John Liberato, and was named the Star-Ledger Player of the Year in Union County.
After high school, Badgley spent a postgraduate year at Fork Union Military Academy, where he played for head coach Col. John Shuman. He made the Dean’s list, was ranked the No. 1 kicker in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and connected on a 58-yard field goal during his time at FUMA.
Path to the NFL
Badgley originally planned to play collegiate lacrosse and follow his older brother, but a coach convinced him he could compete in football at the Division I level. He committed to the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, where he served as the Hurricanes’ starting kicker from 2014 through 2017. He left Miami as the program’s all-time leading scorer, holding school records that included 77 career field goals and 403 career points.
As a senior in 2017, Badgley was named a team captain, first-team All-ACC, the Walter Kichefski Award recipient, and Miami’s Special Teams Most Valuable Player. Following his final college season, he was invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, setting the stage for his professional career.
Mike Badgley Career
Early Career (2018)
After going unselected in the 2018 NFL Draft, Michael Badgley signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent. During the preseason he worked closely with veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri and connected on all five of his field goal attempts, including a long of 51 yards. The Colts ultimately released Badgley on September 1, 2018, in favor of keeping Vinatieri.
Just ten days later, on October 11, 2018, the Los Angeles Chargers signed Badgley to their roster. He made his NFL debut in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, converting all five extra point attempts and his lone field goal try in a 38-14 victory. In his second game he added two field goals and two extra points in a 20-19 win over the Tennessee Titans, and the steady play helped him earn the Chargers’ kicking job for the remainder of the season.
Los Angeles Chargers Breakthrough (2018-2020)
Badgley’s defining early moment came in Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football, when he bounced back from a missed 52-yard attempt to hit a 29-yard game-winner as time expired, giving the Chargers a 33-30 victory. The following week against Cincinnati he drilled four field goals, including a 59-yarder that set a Chargers franchise record for longest field goal, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
In the 2018 AFC Wild Card matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, Badgley went four-for-four on field goals in the first half, becoming only the third kicker in league history to do so, and finished the postseason contest with five field goals and 15 points, both Chargers postseason records. He was recognized as the league’s top special teams rookie of the 2018 season. By the end of 2020, his first full season and third overall with the Chargers, he ranked 19th in team history with 238 regular-season points. The Chargers waived him on August 31, 2021.
Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, and Chicago Bears (2021-2022)
Badgley signed with the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad on September 10, 2021, but was waived three days later. He returned to the Colts on October 14, 2021, was elevated to the active roster after Rodrigo Blankenship suffered an injury, and converted all five of his kicks in Week 6 to secure his spot. He finished that season 18 of 21 on field goals and a perfect 39 of 39 on extra points. On October 1, 2022, he signed with the Chicago Bears’ practice squad, made all four field goal attempts in a single game elevated for active duty, and was released two days later.
Detroit Lions Era (2022-2024)
The Detroit Lions signed Badgley to their practice squad on October 5, 2022, and promoted him to the active roster on October 29. He finished the 2022 season 24 of 28 (85.7 percent) on field goals and a perfect 33 of 33 on extra points, and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 13 after scoring 16 points in a 40-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was released on July 20, 2023.
After brief stints with the Washington Commanders and a return to the Tennessee Titans, Badgley rejoined the Lions via the practice squad on August 30, 2023. He hit a 54-yard game-deciding field goal in the NFC Wild Card Round to lift Detroit past the Los Angeles Rams 24-23, advanced to the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers, and finished the postseason a perfect 3 of 3 on field goals and 11 of 11 on extra points. He re-signed with the Lions on February 22, 2024, but suffered a torn hamstring on July 26, 2024, and missed the entire season on injured reserve.
Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills (2025)
On October 7, 2025, the Indianapolis Colts signed Badgley to their active roster following a season-ending injury to Spencer Shrader. The Colts waived him on December 2, 2025, after a missed point-after-touchdown in Week 13 against the Houston Texans. On December 16, 2025, the Buffalo Bills signed him to their practice squad to provide cover for an injury to Matt Prater, elevated him for the game against the Cleveland Browns, and watched him convert his lone field goal attempt from 41 yards in a 23-20 win. He was released on December 29, 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Badgley is known for an accurate, repeatable kicking motion that translates well to a variety of field positions and weather conditions. His leg strength has produced multiple long-distance conversions, including a 59-yarder that set the Chargers franchise record, and his track record of clutch late-game kicks has been a defining trait. He has also shown the discipline to handle elevated roles on short notice, having joined multiple teams midseason and produced immediate results.
Notable Events and Milestones
Badgley’s career highlights include the 59-yard franchise-record field goal with the Chargers in 2018, the 54-yard game-winning kick for Detroit in the 2023 NFC Wild Card Round, and his standing as Miami’s all-time leading scorer. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2017, was named the Chargers’ top special teams rookie in 2018, and has been selected as both AFC and NFC Special Teams Player of the Week during his career.
Mike Badgley Career Highlights
Mike Badgley’s professional ledger includes stints with the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, and Buffalo Bills, with the Chargers and Lions representing his most productive stops. As of the 2025 season, his career totals include 109 made field goals on 131 attempts (83.2 percent), 188 of 200 extra point attempts (94 percent), 515 total points, and a career-long field goal of 59 yards. He also holds the Chargers franchise record for the longest field goal in team history.
Los Angeles Chargers Highlights
With the Chargers, Badgley appeared in 38 regular-season games across parts of three seasons (2018-2020) and added a memorable postseason run in 2018. He set the franchise record with a 59-yard field goal against Cincinnati and set team postseason records with five field goals and 15 points in the AFC Wild Card win over Baltimore. He also drilled a 29-yard game-winner against Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football and was named the league’s top special teams rookie for 2018.
Detroit Lions Highlights
Badgley’s most sustained stretch came with the Detroit Lions, first during the 2022 season when he went 24 of 28 on field goals and 33 of 33 on extra points, and again in 2023 when he delivered a 54-yard walk-off field goal in the NFC Wild Card Round against the Los Angeles Rams. He finished the 2023 postseason a perfect 3 of 3 on field goals and 11 of 11 on extra points, helping the Lions reach the NFC Championship Game.
Other Performances
Outside his primary stints, Badgley produced efficient kicking in shorter opportunities with the Colts, Bears, and Bills, generally converting the chances he received. He was a perfect 39 of 39 on extra points in 2021 with Indianapolis and made all four of his field goal attempts in his lone active appearance with Chicago in 2022. In his brief Bills tenure, he connected on his only field goal attempt, a 41-yarder against Cleveland, in a 23-20 win.
Mike Badgley Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Michael Badgley grew up in Summit, New Jersey, alongside his older brother, Peter Badgley, a former Division I lacrosse goaltender at Providence College. Peter played in the Big East Conference and was selected first-team All-Big East and Big East Goalie of the Year in 2015, providing a high-level athletic role model for Michael during his formative years.
Personal Life
Public details about Badgley’s personal life beyond his immediate family are limited. He is known for the “Money Badger” nickname that has followed him since his college years at the University of Miami. Information about his spouse, children, and current residence is not publicly confirmed in the available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Mike Badgley began the 2025 season as a free agent before joining the Indianapolis Colts on October 7 following a season-ending injury to kicker Spencer Shrader. He provided stability for the Colts’ kicking game through the middle of the season, but a missed extra point in a Week 13 game against the Houston Texans proved costly, and Indianapolis waived him on December 2, 2025.
Shortly after his release, the Buffalo Bills signed Badgley to their practice squad on December 16, 2025, with starter Matt Prater sidelined. He was elevated for the game against the Cleveland Browns and converted his only field goal attempt from 41 yards in a 23-20 win, though he also missed a point-after-touchdown in that contest. The following week against the Philadelphia Eagles, another missed PAT led the Bills to go for two on a potential game-tying attempt rather than send Badgley out for a kick, and the two-point try failed. The Bills released Badgley on December 29, 2025.
As of the close of the 2025 regular season, Badgley’s immediate future remains unsettled, though his track record of stepping in and producing on short notice figures to keep him on NFL teams’ radar. His career 83.2 percent field goal accuracy and proven long-range leg make him a viable option whenever a kicking need arises, and his prior postseason heroics with the Chargers and Lions only add to his appeal. Whether he lands back on an active roster for the postseason or settles in for the offseason will be among the storylines to watch.