Tyler Bass Bio
Tyler Royce Bass is an American professional football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Born on February 14, 1997, in Columbia, South Carolina, Bass has become a steady presence in the Bills’ special teams unit since joining the league in 2020. He played college football for the Georgia Southern Eagles and was selected by Buffalo in the sixth round, 188th overall, of the 2020 NFL Draft. Over the course of his career, Bass has set multiple franchise records, earned conference-level monthly honors, and signed a major contract extension with the team.
Early Life and Background
Tyler Royce Bass was born on February 14, 1997, in Columbia, South Carolina. He grew up in the Irmo area and attended Dutch Fork High School, where he played both football and soccer. Bass has credited his grandmother with convincing him to try out for the high school football team, noting that his strong leg from soccer translated well to placekicking.
At Dutch Fork, Bass developed into one of the top high school kickers in the country. Following his senior season, he was awarded the Chris Sailer Award, which recognizes the best high school football kicker. His success at the high school level led him to commit to Georgia Southern on January 31, 2015.
Path to Professional Football
Bass took a traditional path to professional football through the college ranks. He spent his true freshman year as a redshirt at Georgia Southern, using the time to develop physically and refine his technique. He showed significant improvement during his redshirt junior season, converting 19 of 21 field goal attempts and all 45 of his extra point attempts.
His final collegiate game carried personal meaning, as Bass began the practice of wearing eye black under only one eye as a tribute to his grandmother. He then accepted an invitation to the 2020 Senior Bowl, where he connected on 2 field goals and 4 of 4 extra point attempts, further raising his profile ahead of the NFL Draft.
Tyler Bass Career
Early Career (2020 Season)
The Buffalo Bills selected Tyler Bass in the sixth round, 188th overall, of the 2020 NFL Draft. With most pro days canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bills special teams coordinator Heath Farwell traveled to Georgia to attend Bass’s pre-draft workout personally. Bass signed a four-year, $3.475 million contract with the team on May 7, 2020.
During a shortened training camp, Bass beat out incumbent placekicker Stephen Hauschka to win the starting job, prompting the Bills to release Hauschka on August 27, 2020. To prepare for the season, Bass drove two and a half hours from South Carolina to Birmingham, Alabama, for weekly training sessions with the team’s long snapper and holder. In his professional debut against the New York Jets on September 13, 2020, Bass made all three of his extra point attempts and connected on 2 of 4 field goals. He went on to set several franchise records during his rookie year, including a career-long 53-yard field goal against the Jets. Bass finished the 2020 season converting 28 of 34 field goal attempts and 57 of 59 extra point attempts, totaling 141 points and breaking Steve Christie’s 1998 franchise record of 140 points in a single season. He also surpassed Scott Norwood’s franchise records for extra points attempted and made in a single season.
NFL Breakthrough (2021–2022 Seasons)
In the 2021 season, Bass was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October, making all of his extra point attempts while converting all 10 of his field goal attempts during that span. For the year, he went a perfect 51 for 51 on extra points and 28 of 32 on field goal attempts, solidifying his role as one of the most accurate kickers in the league.
The 2022 season brought another monthly honor, with Bass earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November. He converted 48 of 50 extra point attempts and 27 of 31 field goal attempts during the regular season. In the postseason, Bass was perfect in Buffalo’s two games, making all five extra point attempts and all three field goal attempts.
Buffalo Bills Era (2023–Present)
On April 20, 2023, Bass signed a four-year, $21 million contract extension with the Bills, securing his place with the franchise through 2027. He opened the 2023 season by earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September. Over the year, he converted 49 of 50 extra point attempts and 24 of 29 field goal attempts. In the Divisional Round of the 2023–24 NFL playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs, Bass missed a game-tying 44-yard field goal with under two minutes remaining, leading to Buffalo’s elimination. The miss drew comparisons to the famous Wide Right kick in Bills history and led to Bass temporarily deactivating his social media accounts after receiving harassment and death threats. Bills quarterback Josh Allen publicly defended Bass, saying the team should not have been in that position to begin with. Bass reactivated his accounts on February 15, 2024.
In Week 9 of the 2024 season, Bass set a new franchise record for the longest field goal in Buffalo Bills history, drilling a 61-yard kick with five seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Bills a 30–27 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The dramatic finish came after he had earlier missed an extra point and bounced another attempt off an upright in the same game.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Bass’s most memorable moments is his 61-yard game-winning field goal against Miami in 2024, which set the Buffalo Bills franchise record for the longest field goal in team history. Earlier in his career, he set a Buffalo record with 141 points scored in the 2020 season and became the first kicker in Bills history to make three field goals longer than 50 yards in a single game. He is also the second kicker in NFL history to make three field goals longer than 54 yards in the same game, joining Kris Brown, who accomplished the feat in 2007.
Tyler Bass Career Accolades
Throughout his time with the Buffalo Bills, Tyler Bass has earned multiple AFC Special Teams Player of the Month awards and has been recognized for his accuracy and range as a placekicker. His college career at Georgia Southern included First-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2018, along with Second-team All-Sun Belt selections in 2017 and 2019.
Conference and League Honors
Bass has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month three times, with the honors coming in October 2021, November 2022, and September 2023. These awards reflect his consistency and impact during the early portions of multiple seasons. At the collegiate level, his All-Sun Belt selections highlighted his development as one of the top kickers in the Sun Belt Conference.
Tyler Bass Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Tyler Bass was raised in the Irmo area of South Carolina, where he attended Dutch Fork High School. He has spoken publicly about the strong influence of his grandmother, who encouraged him to try out for the high school football team and whose memory he honors by wearing eye black under only one eye during games. Beyond his connection to his grandmother, Bass has kept most details of his personal and family life out of the public eye.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season has been a difficult one for Tyler Bass and the Buffalo Bills. On September 5, 2025, Bass was placed on injured reserve to begin the year due to hip and groin issues, forcing the team to sign veteran placekicker Matt Prater to handle kicking duties in his absence. The injury proved serious enough that, on December 1, 2025, it was revealed Bass had undergone surgery on his left hip and groin, officially ending his 2025 campaign.
Bass’s absence opened the door for Matt Prater, a proven veteran, to take over the placekicking role for the Bills during their playoff push. The Bills had to adjust their special teams operation while relying on Prater’s experience to maintain the consistency Bass had built over the previous four seasons. With Bass recovering from surgery and under contract through 2027, the organization is expected to plan around his return to health for the 2026 season.