Jessie Minter won’t ignore how Tyler Loop has struggled to make kicks for the Baltimore Ravens this preseason, and the rookie head coach revealed the team’s plan for the position ahead of Week 1’s regular-season opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, September 13.
Loop missed two field goals during the 41-3 win over the Washington Commanders on Friday, August 28. The second-year pro’s inaccuracy from 51 and 58 yards prompted boos from many in attendance at M&T Bank Stadium, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
The latter noted how “Loop finished the preseason 5-of-8 (62.5%).” This level of inconsistency prompted an ominous response from Minter with the deadline for roster cuts looming on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
He told reporters, including Hensley, “You want to see makes in games. And so, it’s something we’ll continue to look at. We’ll continue to look at what the best situation is there. He has had a good camp overall, but again, it comes down to making the kicks and the pressure situations in the game. So, that’s something I think that we’ll always be looking at to make sure that we’re doing what’s best for the team.”
Minter doubled down on the suggestion the Ravens will look for a new kicker, when he acknowledged, “I think there’s a million scenarios there to try to make sure that we have the best situation headed into Indy.”
Those words represent an about turn from Minter. He’s previously defended Loop’s efforts to bounce back from last season’s fatally wide kick against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tyler Loop Defiant About Struggles, Increased Competition
Loop was always going to be under intense scrutiny after his role in the 2025 Ravens missing the playoffs. Yet, the player taken in the sixth round of last year’s NFL draft sounds defiant about the prospect of Minter adding extra competition in the kicking department.
Second-year pro Loop said any new signing “doesn’t change anything for him.” He also admitted being “confident in my ball-striking. When I’m striking the ball good, it’s really good, and that has to carry over and that’s all we’re focused on,” per Hensley.
Not many observers share Loop’s confidence. Including Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, who believes “The Ravens have shown Tyler Loop as much faith as they possibly can. They’ve said all the right things. They haven’t brought in competition. It isn’t even clear if they’ve had a kicker in for a workout. But it’s getting increasingly harder to justify their stance.”
Zrebiec’s thoughts are echoed by Ravens Vault co-host Bobby Trosset. He thinks “It’s beyond time to start working the phones for available kickers. Too talented of a roster to continue rolling the dice.”
The timing is ripe for the Ravens to go hunting for Loop’s replacement. They can scour the waiver wire after the deadline for final roster cuts has passed.
Alternatively, Minter and general manager Eric DeCosta could dip back into free agency. Pro Bowler Graham Gano is still on the market.
Loop’s issues aren’t going away for the Ravens, but they can at least feel good about one young kicker.
Ravens Getting Positive Development from Other Kicker
Rookie punter Ryan Eckley isn’t wasting his chances to prove he belongs at this level. This year’s sixth-rounder averaged 46 yards across three punts against the Commanders, pinning two kicks inside the 20-yard line.
Those successful kicks continued an upward trend for Eckley, following a rough start to preseason. “Even after a dud 1st punt vs. Philadelphia, Ryan Eckley averaged 48.8 yards over his 11 total punts in the preseason. That would’ve ranked 8th in the NFL last season,” according to The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer.
That would’ve ranked 8th in the NFL last season.
Eckley’s impressive work has also been building during practice. He “executed five consecutive coffin corner punts that all landed inside the 5. His first and last attempts both downed at the 2-yard line” during Monday’s session, per The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino.
Expertise in the kicking game has long been a staple for the Ravens, and Eckley looks set to continue at least part of that tradition. It’s a different story for Loop, who now faces a fight just to stay on the roster.
Ravens’ HC Reveals Kicker Plan, Amid Tyler Loop’s Struggles