Michigan Panthers coach Mike Nolan: NFL teams breaking rules trying to contact Jake Bates

The star of the young United Football League season can do without the hype. At least that's what Jake Bates told his Michigan Panthers teammate, former Detroit Lions wide receiver Trey Quinn.

"This past week he was like, he goes, 'Hey, when do you think all this hype’s going to stop?' Like kind of sounds tired of it," Quinn said in a video conference Tuesday. "I’m like, 'You’re good probably in a week, man.' I was like, 'Unless you do it again,' and then he hits another one."

Bates made his second 60-plus-yard field goal in as many weeks last week for the Panthers, igniting more buzz about his future as an NFL kicker — perhaps in violation of NFL rules.

A kickoff specialist in college, Bates made a 64-yard field goal with 3 seconds left in the Panthers' 18-16 win over the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL opener March 30 at Ford Field. Bates, who had not made a field goal in a game since high school, made the kick twice, though the first kick did not count after the Battlehawks tried to ice him by taking a timeout.

Last week, Bates made field goals of 52 and 62 yards in a 20-13 loss to the Birmingham Stallions.

The NFL record for longest field goal is 66 yards, set by the Baltimore Ravens' Justin Tucker in a 2021 game against the Lions at Ford Field. The Lions have never had a kicker make a field goal of 60 or more yards in a game.

"He’s got a cult following," Panthers coach Mike Nolan joked of Bates on Tuesday.

More: Jake Bates didn't kick a FG in college. Now he's a Michigan Panthers hero after epic kick.

That following includes a handful of NFL teams who already have reached out to the Panthers about Bates — and some who may have had illegal contact with Bates or his agent.

"Outsiders don’t touch our players too much during the season," Nolan said. "With Jake, somehow some of them are trying to make efforts to do that, to be honest with you, and hopefully that backs off a little bit because that’s not — they’re not supposed to do that. And maybe that’s rumor, but I had heard something the other day and I kind of said, 'Well, let’s make sure we nip that in the bud,' because, look, I want Jake to do well and I want him to get a chance. I’d love to see him in the NFL and no one right now can do him any good, so the best thing I can do is keep those people away from him currently, because I’m not helping Jake if I don’t do that."

Asked to clarify if teams or agents were the ones making efforts to contact Bates, Nolan said, "I think both a little bit."

"Again, I’m just getting — it’s one of those things, I have to consider the source sometimes," he said.

An NFL spokesperson said by email NFL teams are allowed to contact UFL teams about their players, but cannot sign UFL players until after the UFL season. NFL teams are not allowed to contact players under contract with the UFL or discuss that player with their agent, the spokesperson said.

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"It’s not like an NFL team can take them today, so if they’re getting entertained it’s all for later on," Nolan said. "But the big thing is for them to stay focused and in my eyes, I treat them kind of like they’re my own kids. I tell them, I say, look, there’s nothing much that anyone can do for you right now on the outside, so if you don’t have an agent you don’t need to go get one currently, and you certainly don’t need to go out and be entertained currently, you need to continue to kick well because this can all go away very fast if things change for you. So keep your focus, and that’s the same for all of them."

Nolan is a one-time special teams coach with the Denver Broncos, who has spent more than 30 years in the NFL. Nolan said Bates has the leg talent to succeed in the NFL and has shown poise and consistency in his short time with the Panthers.

"Looking at the league and getting into the league, for him, obviously he’s just going to have to continue to show consistency through the season," Nolan said. "I know there’s a lot of people right now looking at him because of his leg strength, both on his kickoffs as well as the field goals, but more importantly the field goals because if you can get points from far out, obviously you’re very valuable to the team."

And if he keeps hitting field goals from far out, Quinn said Bates will have no choice but to manage the hype.

"He’s an awesome kid," Quinn said. "Great leg, bright future. I hope he keeps it going. No better person to have success than that kid right there."

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Panthers' Jake Bates generating more buzz with long FGs