ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- There has been a rush of "pawsitive" support online for Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass after he missed a 44-yard kick in a 27-24 divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that would have tied the game at 27 with 1:43 remaining.
Donations reaching over $270,000 have been made in his name to Ten Lives Club, a nonprofit cat adoption group based in the Buffalo area that is dedicated to reducing the number of cats euthanized every year and the number in shelters, per public relations manager Kimberly LaRussa. That number is continuing to increase.
Bass received some negative attention online following the missed kick. His social media accounts are deactivated, but it is unclear when exactly that happened.
To show support for Bass, donations started flowing to Ten Lives Club on Monday afternoon, with the majority in $22 increments to show support for the fourth-year kicker, who wears No. 2. Through Show Your Soft Side, a public service campaign that works against animal abuse across the county, Bass became connected with the Ten Lives Club, working with them as early as 2022.
The group posted on Facebook on Monday at 2:19 p.m., "WE STAND WITH TYLER BASS. DON'T BULLY OUR FRIEND We just heard the terrible news that Tyler Bass is receiving threats after yesterday's game and our phones are ringing off the hook from people who want to donate $22 to Ten Lives Club in Tyler's name.
Tyler doesn't deserve any of the hate he's receiving. He's an excellent football player and an even better person who took the time to help our organization and rescue cats last year. Leave our friend alone."
Over $48,400 has been raised on Facebook alone.
Bass received a contract extension in the 2023 offseason that links him to the team through the 2027 season. Since the game, Bass has received support from the Bills organization as well.
"I gave [Bass] a hug after the game and just told him, listen, I know he wants that kick back more than anybody," general manager Brandon Beane said Tuesday. "And he's done a lot of good things. He's won games. He's tied games. He's made big kicks for us. And one kick doesn't change how I view him, how we view him, his teammates view him. ... I don't think there's a player or staff member that I've heard that doubts Tyler Bass.
"... I would hope that fans or whoever, if someone's giving him a hard time, that [they] would take his career and take how hard he works and how much his teammates and this organization believes in him. He's going to be a big part of what we're doing going forward. There's no wavering of support in this building, or definitely from [coach Sean McDermott] or myself."