Should the Ravens Stick with Their Rookie Kicker After a Season-Ending Miss?
The Baltimore Ravens’ 2025-26 season came to a soul-crushing end in the final game of the NFL regular season on Sunday Night Football at Acrisure Stadium against division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, with the AFC North Division crown on the line. In a game that turned into yet another instant classic, it concluded the wrong way for Baltimore and its fanbase, as the Ravens saw their playoff hopes and division title aspirations dashed in a back-and-forth fourth quarter. Pittsburgh and Baltimore traded lead changes with big plays from both Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers throughout the final frame. Ultimately, it came down to the right foot of Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop, who had the opportunity to notch the first game-winning field goal of his young career on a 44-yard attempt. However, the 24-year-old’s kick sailed wide right as time expired, handing Baltimore a dramatic 26-24 defeat and delivering Pittsburgh its first AFC North title since 2020 in yet another all-too-familiar heartbreaking fashion. With Loop’s rookie season ending on a disappointing note, questions have begun to surface about whether Baltimore should part ways with its former sixth-round pick or stand by him for the long haul heading into 2026.
Looking back on Loop’s rookie campaign, the former Arizona Wildcat entered the season under immense pressure and lofty expectations. He was tasked with replacing the longest-tenured kicker in Ravens history, Justin Tucker, who holds numerous franchise records and is often regarded as the greatest kicker of all time and a future Hall of Famer. However, after Tucker was released this past offseason due to sexual misconduct allegations, the Ravens and general manager Eric DeCosta were forced to pivot in a new direction to minimize distractions, along with addressing Tucker’s inconsistent kicking toward the end of his tenure. As a result, Loop’s arrival in Baltimore came with significant scrutiny, as fans and pundits alike questioned whether he could meet, or even approach, the standard that Tucker had set.
At first glance, Loop’s rookie numbers appear satisfactory when setting Sunday night’s game aside. He finished the season with an 88.2% field goal percentage, converting 30 of 34 attempts, along with a 95.7% success rate on extra points. However, a deeper look reveals plenty of room for growth and improvement. Loop struggled with the league’s new kickoff rules throughout the season, committing an NFL-high eight kickoff penalties for failing to consistently land the ball within the designated zone, with no other kicker recording more than five. Those struggles resurfaced once again on Sunday night, as a fourth-quarter kickoff penalty allowed Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers to start a drive at the 40-yard line, which eventually resulted in a touchdown. Additionally, Loop’s reliability from long distance was inconsistent, as he went just one-for-four on field goal attempts of 50 yards or more, with a season-long of 52 yards.
Ultimately, Loop did not face many last-minute, game-deciding kicks during his rookie season prior to Week 18. That lack of experience left Baltimore and its fanbase uncertain about what they truly had in Loop’s leg when the pressure was at its highest. Now, the Ravens’ front office is forced to weigh whether to move on from Loop after just one season or place enough faith in his development to allow him the opportunity to bounce back in 2026. Baltimore could also opt to bring in competition during the offseason and training camp to evaluate whether a more reliable option emerges at kicker. Regardless, the Ravens will have multiple decisions to ponder as they attempt to rebound from yet another disappointing ending in the Lamar Jackson era.
