The Detroit Lions announced that they have signed kicker Matthew Wright to a futures contract.
“Wright appeared in three games for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020 after being elevated from their practice squad,” the Lions said in a press release. “Wright was a perfect four-for-four on field goals and seven-for-seven on extra point attempts in those contests. He originally entered the NFL with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of Central Florida.”
Matt Prater is a pending free agent and is coming off his worst field goal conversion rate (75-percent) since his first two seasons in the NFL. At age 37 if fair to speculate his longevity.
That being said, Prater still came through in the clutch multiple times this season. He won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week twice last season (in Week 3 and Week 10), set the NFL record for most career 50+ yards field goals, and won free beer for the city of Detroit after connecting on a 59-yard field goal during the season.
When ranking the Lions potential free agents this offseason, Prater checked in fourth for us at Lions Wire. And when you combine that with his expressed desire to remain in Detroit, it’s clear Wright is being brought in as insurance against a deal not getting done and training camp competition, rather than as a replacement.
