With the preseason and cutdown day in the books, teams can now turn their attention towards Week 1 of the regular season.
The anticipation is at an all-time high for many teams across the league, including the Detroit Lions, who are aiming for a deep playoff run. The Lions had to make some tough decisions this week, including releasing two draft picks and trading a veteran receiver.
However, Detroit hopes that the players they chose will be ready to make a push towards a Super Bowl, which starts in Week 1. At the same time, several ex-Lions players are getting ready to make their debuts with their new teams.
One of those players is kicker Riley Patterson, who was with the Lions for separate stints in 2021 and 2023. Patterson went the entire offseason and preseason without getting signed, but now this AFC club needs his talents immediately before the action begins.
The #Dolphins officially signed kicker Riley Patterson to their practice squad and he's expected to be elevated and kick against the #Colts in Week 1 in place of injured Jason Sanders.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 27, 2025
Ex-Lions Kicker Riley Patterson Signs with Miami Dolphins
On Wednesday evening, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that the Miami Dolphins signed the ex-Lions kicker to their practice squad. In addition's he expected to be elevated to the active roster for Week 1 with current Dolphins starter Jason Sanders being injured.
Sanders was placed on injured reserve earlier this week due to a hip injury that he sustained in warmups before Miami's final preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With Sanders being placed on injured reserve, it means that he’ll miss at least the first four games of the season, opening the door for Patterson to be elevated a few times off the taxi squad if he performs well.
Last season, the former Lions kicker played for three different teams (New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and Atlanta Falcons). Patterson played the most games with the Falcons (3), where he went 4-for-7 on field goals made. He struggled noticeably from 50-plus yards out, going 1-for-3.
For his career, Patterson has made 4-of-9 field goals from 50-plus yards away. He’ll need to be automatic from that distance in Week 1 if called upon, as it could make a difference between him staying on the team or at least getting a chance from other franchises. If he squanders this four-week audition, though, it's tough to see the journeyman getting many more opportunities in the NFL.
In his two stints with the Lions, the 25-year-old kicker performed well. In 2021, he made 92.9 percent of his field goals (13-for-14) and a perfect 16-for-16 on extra points in seven games.
Then in 2023, he made 88.2 percent of his field goals (16-for-18) and 94.6 percent of his extra points (35-for-37).
After not kicking at all in the preseason, it will be interesting to see if the former Lion can take advantage of his new opportunity with the Dolphins.