Can the Ravens Truly Trust Their Second-Year Kicker When It Matters Most in 2026?
Tyler Loop’s first preseason appearance of 2026 was never going to be treated like a routine August outing. The Ravens’ second-year kicker entered the opener against the Philadelphia Eagles carrying the memory of his missed 44-yard field goal in Week 18 of last season, an attempt that would have sent Baltimore to the playoffs and delivered the AFC North title. When Loop pushed a 49-yard attempt wide right on the Ravens’ opening drive against Philadelphia, it immediately revived a difficult question for the organization. Are the Ravens truly comfortable entering a championship-or-bust season with no meaningful competition at kicker?
Baltimore does not need to overreact to a single preseason miss, especially after Loop recovered to make a 42-yard field goal and all three of his extra-point attempts in the Ravens’ 24-7 win. Yet it would be equally careless to pretend the miss exists in a vacuum. Loop’s rookie season was productive in several respects, but it also included inconsistency from long range, issues adapting to the NFL’s new kickoff rule and one defining miss that ended Baltimore’s season. The Ravens can still believe he is their long-term answer while acknowledging that he has not yet provided enough certainty to go unchallenged.
Loop’s postgame response to the Eagles miss likely will not soothe every concern. When asked about the kick, he explained that he “hit it a little off the foot” and added that it was something he would clean up moving forward. That calm, matter-of-fact approach reflects the mentality kickers must have after a miss, but some fans interpreted it as too detached given the situation and the larger context surrounding him. The better reading may be that Loop was trying to avoid dwelling on one attempt, although he will need his performance, not his words, to prove that his confidence is justified.
That is where the divide between the Ravens and a skeptical segment of the fan base becomes clear. Baltimore has publicly maintained confidence in Loop despite the way last season ended, and the organization did not bring another kicker into camp to mount a true challenge. Reports from training camp were encouraging, with Loop producing a strong volume of made attempts and showing much better results from beyond 50 yards than he did as a rookie. Still, fans saw the 49-yard miss against Philadelphia and remembered the situation in Pittsburgh, so assurances from the building will not automatically erase the doubt.
The rookie-year numbers show why this discussion is more complicated than simply labeling Loop a disappointment. He converted 30 of 34 field-goal attempts and made 44 of 46 extra points, numbers that should ordinarily give a young kicker a solid foundation. However, he went only one-for-four on attempts from 50 yards or more, leaving Baltimore without proof that it could consistently rely on him from the outer edge of field-goal range. That limitation matters for a team with playoff expectations, because long attempts often become unavoidable in close games, late halves and difficult road environments.
The new kickoff rules created another area where Loop had trouble establishing trust. He finished 2025 with four kickoffs that went out of bounds and four more that failed to reach the required landing zone, mistakes that can hand opponents favorable field position. Kickoff execution may not receive the same attention as a missed field goal at the final whistle, but it can quietly shape the outcome of a game through hidden yards and defensive stress. For a Ravens team that expects to win tight AFC North games, giving away field position is not a minor issue.
Of course, the kick that will define the conversation until Loop proves otherwise came against the Steelers. Baltimore trailed 26-24 in Week 18, and Loop had the opportunity to send the Ravens to the postseason with a 44-yard field goal as time expired. Instead, the attempt went wide right, ending the Ravens’ season and handing Pittsburgh the division. It was Loop’s first miss from inside 50 yards all season, which is important context, but it was also the biggest attempt of his young career and the one that Baltimore needed most.
That miss should not become an unfair permanent label, but it does make this preseason crucial. Loop cannot change what happened at Acrisure Stadium, yet he can show that the moment has not damaged his confidence or his mechanics. He needs more than routine makes in practice; he needs clean performances in preseason games, reliable execution on kickoffs and evidence that the Ravens can trust him from 50-plus yards when circumstances demand it. The Eagles game was only one chapter, but it was a reminder that the scrutiny will continue until Loop produces when the pressure is real.
The impact of Loop’s reliability also extends directly to first-year head coach Jesse Minter. A coach’s decisions on fourth down often reflect the level of trust he has in his kicker, especially when the offense is near the edge of reasonable field-goal range. If Minter believes Loop is dependable from 52 or 55 yards, Baltimore can take points in key situations and use Lamar Jackson’s offense more strategically. If that confidence is not there, Minter may feel forced to go for it more often, punt from aggressive positions or accept that drives crossing midfield may not reliably produce points.
That is why signing a competing kicker would not necessarily represent a vote of no confidence in Loop. It would create accountability, provide a realistic alternative if his preseason issues persist, and ensure the Ravens make their final decision based on current performance rather than internal optimism alone. Baltimore has too much invested in its roster to allow special teams uncertainty to become a defining issue in another high-stakes game. Loop may still be the right answer, but the Ravens should make him prove it before they ask him to decide their season again.
