The Buffalo Bills have endured quite the ride within their special teams unit this season.
It’s been a revolving door at both the kicker and punter positions, where Buffalo has transitioned through several options due to injury and underperformance.
After kicker Matt Prater was revealed to have sustained a quad injury at the start of the week, on Thursday, it was punter Mitch Wishnowsky who appeared on the team’s injury report with a right knee ailment. That could force the Bills to enter Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns with new players at both positions.
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Buffalo Bills place kicker Matt Prater walks over to the bench during first half action against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Nov. 2, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Kicker(s)
For the time being, Prater has been replaced by veteran Michael Badgley, whom the Bills signed on Tuesday after Prater was declared week to week by Head Coach Sean McDermott. Badgley will be the fifth kicker the Bills have trotted onto the field since training camp began, which includes running back Ray Davis, who moonlighted at the position during the preseason.
Joining Prater, Badgley and Ray Davis among the team’s list of kickers this year have been Caden Davis and Tyler Bass, who were linked due to hip and groin injuries sustained by Bass before the regular season began. Caden Davis was initially brought in to spell the injured Bass during training camp and the preseason, but he was later released. The Bills then signed Prater as Bass’ official replacement after the team’s former sixth-round pick was placed on Injured Reserve prior to Week 1. Bass has since been declared out for the year.
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Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, Germany; Indianapolis Colts place kicker Michael Badgley (12) attempts a field goal against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Punter(s)
The punter position has been just as much in flux, with the Bills cycling through five different options there as well. Jake Camarda and Brad Robbins began the year battling it out before the start of training camp, with Robbins eventually winning the starting role following the team’s spring workout program. Tight end Zach Davidson was used after Robbins fell ill during the preseason, joining Ray Davis as a player who spread his wings beyong his natural position. The team later released Davidson before the outset of the regular season.
Then, Robbins was released after offering a poor performance during his first regular-season game, leading Buffalo to bring in Cameron Johnston for the next three games, before he sustained a leg injury, which landed him on Injured Reserve. The Bills later released him, next bringing in Wishnowsky, who has been the team’s punter since Week 5.
But with his injury causing him to be a limited participant during Thursday’s practice, there is a distinct chance that the Bills will need to bring in yet another player to fill the void for at least this week.
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Buffalo Bills punter Mitch Wishnowsky kicks the ball downfield during second half action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov 16, 2025 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Results
That would leave plenty up to chance in another crucial game for the Bills in terms of their pursuit of a sixth-straight AFC East title. Prater and Wishnowsky have each been solid this season, and bringing in two new starters at this stage of the game could get a bit dicey.
Wishnowsky currently ranks tied for eighth in the NFL in net punting average (42.6), while Prater is in the top half of the league in field goal percentage, where he ranks 13th in the NFL with a 90% success rate. However, the 41-year-old has missed three extra points this season, which places him 28th in the league (minimum 10 attempts).
As far as Prater’s replacement, Badgley has also struggled on extra points this season, which is likely what caused his release by the Indianapolis Colts earlier in the year. In seven games with the Colts this season, the seven-year pro converted 90.9% of his field goal attempts, but was off the mark on three extra-point tries, including a miss during a Colts’ four-point loss to the Houston Texans in Week 13.
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Buffalo Bills punter Cameron Johnston watches the game during first half action of the Bills home game against the New Orleans Saints in Orchard Park on Sept. 28, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Could-be replacements
If Wishnowsky cannot play on Sunday, the Bills would be forced to pursue another free-agent addition. Potential options include bringing back Robbins, who is currently a free agent, or Johnston, who currently sits on the New York Giants practice squad. Jack Browning, who previously signed with the Bills as a free agent after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft, is also available.
McDermott will speak to the media before Friday’s practice and likely provide an update on Wishnowsky’s status then.
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