Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) arrives before the game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Ravens drop big hint about Justin Tucker’s future

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Baltimore Ravens may have dropped a big hint about where they are going at the kicker position as Justin Tucker remains the subject of an NFL investigation.

The Ravens garnered attention Saturday by using a sixth-round pick on former Arizona kicker Tyler Loop. Loop was selected at No. 186 overall, marking the first time in franchise history that the Ravens have drafted a kicker.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter made it very clear that he believes the selection of a kicker is very telling. Schefter said that by drafting Loop, the Ravens are indicating that Tucker’s future with the organization is very much in doubt.

“Here, the Ravens make a loud statement,” Schefter said during ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage. “Teams rarely use picks on kickers without the intent of having those rookies come in and win those jobs. Once the Ravens take Tyler Loop from Arizona in the sixth round, that tells you that Justin Tucker’s future in Baltimore is very much up in the air.”

Adam Schefter: "Here, the Ravens make a loud statement. Teams rarely use picks on kickers without the intent of having those rookies come in and win those jobs. [The Ravens drafting Tyler Loop] tells you that Justin Tucker's future in Baltimore is very much up in the air." #NFL pic.twitter.com/o3DONOjQ60
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 26, 2025

A total of 16 women have accused Tucker of acting inappropriately while receiving massages. Tucker has denied the allegations. The Ravens have called the claims “serious and concerning,” but have otherwise taken a wait-and-see approach as the NFL conducts its own investigation.

As Schefter noted, it would be unusual for any team to use even a late-round pick on a kicker if they did not plan to give that kicker a real chance to win the job permanently. This feels like more than just added insurance in case the NFL sees fit to discipline Tucker.

Tucker has been widely regarded as one of the best and most reliable kickers in NFL history. Even before the allegations surfaced, he was unusually shaky last year, as the 35-year-old connected on a career-low 73.3% of his field goal attempts, going just 11-of-19 from 40 yards out or more on the season.

Loop spent four years kicking at Arizona. He was particularly impressive as a senior by going 6/9 on field goal tries of 50 yards or more, including a successful 62-yarder in a November win over Houston.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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