Ravens draft kicker Tyler Loop of Arizona amid uncertainty about Justin Tucker’s future
FILE _ Arizona place kicker Tyler Loop (33) connects for the winning field goal as Jackson Holman holds the ball in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — If the end of Justin Tucker’s tenure in Baltimore is near, the Ravens now have a potential replacement.
The Ravens drafted kicker Tyler Loop of Arizona in the sixth round of the NFL draft Saturday amid uncertainty about Tucker’s future. The Baltimore Banner has reported that over a dozen massage therapists have accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior. The NFL has said it would investigate.
Tucker has maintained he did not act inappropriately while receiving professional bodywork treatment.
By using a draft pick — even one in the late rounds — on a kicker, the Ravens may have signaled some doubt as to whether Tucker will be with the team much longer. General manager Eric DeCosta wasn’t tipping his hand, however.
“Right now they’re both on the roster,” DeCosta said. “I’ve actually never met Tyler — I’m looking forward to that. He’ll be here next week, get a chance to see his leg.”
DeCosta said he isn’t sure when the league’s investigation might conclude. He also said he hasn’t thought about how drafting a kicker might impact Tucker’s roster spot.
“I just thought he was a really talented player. It made sense for us to do that for a lot of different reasons,” DeCosta said. “We told you guys multiple times this spring that we would look at kickers. So for us it’s like any other position this year. You evaluate all these guys. We felt like he was draftable.”
Loop was not the first kicker taken. New England drafted Andres Borregales of Miami four picks before Loop.
Loop did not seem surprised to end up with Baltimore. In a video conference following the pick, he was already wearing a Ravens shirt — he said he ordered it a couple days earlier.
Loop made 18 of 23 field goal attempts last season, including a program-record 62-yarder. The uncertainty about Tucker’s status — and the fact that he’s a five-time All-Pro — put Loop in a somewhat awkward spot. It’s not clear if he’ll be competing with Tucker for the job, or if Tucker could be facing a suspension or even be off the roster by the time training camp begins.
“I’m just excited to get there and be around those guys and learn from them, be with the team and find ways to make kicks in Baltimore,” Loop said. “Being successful up there is what matters the most, going and making kicks and winning games and just taking it one day at a time, so I’m going to celebrate today, and tomorrow, get right back to work and stack some days and figure out how we can have success up there.”
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