2026 Is a “Prove It” Year for Tyler Loop

It’s now or never for second-year placekicker Tyler Loop. Drafted in the sixth round last year, the rookie faced an almost impossible situation: take the place of an all-time great after the sudden release of Justin Tucker. Loop had big shoes to fill. After an up-and-down rookie year with plenty of highs and really low lows, he comes into his second season with even more pressure after how last season ended.

Up and Down Rookie Year

Tyler Loop started his rookie season as well as anyone. Throughout his first four games, he went a perfect 7-for-7 on field goals and 14-of-15 on extra point attempts. He had demonstrated consistency and the ability to stay poised.

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It was these traits that led Baltimore to draft him, believing he could be the successor to Tucker’s legacy. For as big a leg as Tucker had, his legacy didn’t come from his leg strength. It was his ability to stay calm and show up when the lights were brightest.

In Tucker’s rookie year, he excelled at long distance, going 4-for-4 from 50-plus yards and 13-for-17 of kicks of 40-plus yards. Loop struggled, going just 1-for-4 from 50 yards out. After making his first 50-yard kick of the season, he went 0-for-3 the rest of the year from that distance.

His struggles on special teams happened when the team needed him the most. Baltimore started out the year with a 2-5 record. The Ravens then went 6-3 in their next nine games to get back to .500, with a chance to win the division and make the playoffs.

Loop struggled to become a key storyline for the team during the final three weeks of the season. He went just 4-for-6 on field goals, with most misses coming at 40-plus yards, including the kick that would have sent the Ravens to the playoffs. In a season defined by resilience for a team that had to battle its way back, that final miss ultimately cost the Ravens their season and now leaves Loop on very thin ice.