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The Ravens' interest in rookie kicker Tyler Loop dates back well before April's NFL Draft.
The Baltimore Ravens’ kicking search ended Aug. 17 when Tyler Loop was officially named the starter. But for all intents and purposes, it was over long before that.
As Ravens special teams coach Randy Brown recalls, the quest to find Justin Tucker’s replacement dates back several months, well before the NFL Draft.
Brown recently told the Baltimore Banner that he’d coveted Loop since at least February, when the University of Arizona product put his skills on display in a small gathering at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“On that late-February afternoon in Indianapolis,” The Banner’s Childs Walker wrote, “Brown was pretty sure he’d found Justin Tucker’s replacement.”
In April, Baltimore drafted Loop in the sixth round, 186th overall.
What Happened to Justin Tucker?
Tucker was released in May after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him by 16 massage therapists from eight different spas in the Baltimore area, according to The Banner.
Tucker denied the allegations, calling them “unequivocally false.”
“I maintain I did not act inappropriately at any point before, during, or after a professional bodywork treatment session,” Tucker said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
Despite Tucker’s strong denial, the NFL suspended him for the first 10 weeks of the season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
In 13 seasons with the Ravens, Tucker made seven Pro Bowl appearances and connected on an NFL record 89.1% of his attempts. He was released with three years remaining on a four-year, $22 million extension.
Why Was Tyler Loop Named the Ravens’ Kicker?
Brown told The Banner that he became enamored with Loop’s booming leg after watching him seamlessly drill a 60-yard field goal in a workout that included close to 30 other kickers.
“By then,” Walker wrote, “he’d drilled down enough to decide that Loop was one of perhaps five college kickers who could be developed into a top-notch pro capable of nailing clutch kicks in the weather conditions presented by AFC North cities.”
That’s not to say the Ravens were surprised by Loop’s thunderous leg. At Arizona, Loop was 6-of-9 on attempts from 50-plus yards, including a career-long 62-yarder last season.
Loop reaffirmed the Ravens’ belief by performing well in the preseason, going 8-for-8 on extra-point attempts and 9-of-11 on field goals, including five kicks from 50-plus yards.
Loop concluded the preseason by knocking home a 61-yard kick in a 30-3 win over the Washington Commanders.
What Other Kickers Did the Ravens Consider?
The Ravens also had undrafted rookie John Hoyland in training camp but released him on Aug. 2, before their first preseason game.
As was the case for several teams, the lack of roster flexibility made keeping two kickers difficult.
“If you’re the drafted kicker, you certainly have the edge,” head coach John Harbaugh said, via FOX Baltimore. “But we wanted to keep the pressure on both of them, and (Hoyland) was doing a good job and kicking well enough to earn a spot on the team. But we just had roster needs right now.”
The Ravens kick off the season Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills.