CBS Sport: Lions sign in Minnesota Vikings mega star in a blockbuster deal.

This year, the Lions’ kicking performance has already made quite a few headlines. First, due to a hamstring injury that would finish the season, starting kicker Michael Badgley was placed on injured reserve. Detroit signed UFL standout Jake Bates, who became well-known for his large leg during the offseason, to replace him.

According to Joseph’s agent Brett Tessler, the Lions signed veteran kicker Greg Joseph to their practice squad today. The product of South Africa has played in the league for the past five years, the last three of which he has spent as the starting kicker for the Minnesota Vikings. Joseph signed with the Packers as a free agent during the summer, but because of a fierce kicking battle, he was not included on the 53-man roster. He is now a member of his third consecutive  NFC North club.

After a kicking competition of their own, the Lions had selected Bates as their main leg. Bates displayed an inconsistent performance during training camp that initially appeared concerning, but he returned to his previous level of play during preseason and Week 1 games.

Nevertheless, Detroit deliberately sought out Badgley last season and used him to take Riley Patterson’s job in the middle of the season. Although Bates appears to be holding onto his position for the time being, Detroit’s past performance does not indicate that they will not make Bates work for it throughout the season. Throughout the season, he’ll probably need to keep Joseph at bay with his own performance.