Ravens Have a Tyler Loop Problem: Baltimore Should Bring in Competition at Kicker

By Brian Hradsky | Maryland Sports Blog

The Baltimore Ravens cannot afford to ignore what is developing at kicker.

Tyler Loop entered the 2026 season with the difficult assignment of becoming Baltimore’s long-term answer after Justin Tucker, and there have been plenty of encouraging moments. Loop has a powerful leg, has shown he can make difficult kicks and performed reasonably well as a rookie.

But the Ravens are trying to win a Super Bowl, and the misses are becoming difficult to dismiss.

Loop ended Baltimore’s 2025 season by missing a 44-yard field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers that would have won the AFC North and sent the Ravens to the playoffs. One missed kick should never completely define a young kicker, but the Ravens needed to see a strong response this summer.

Instead, more questions have developed.

Loop finished the 2026 preseason just 5-for-8 on field-goal attempts. He made one of two attempts against the Philadelphia Eagles, went 2-for-2 against the Minnesota Vikings and then made only two of four against the Washington Commanders.

Against Washington, Loop missed attempts from 58 and 51 yards.

Neither kick was automatic, particularly the 58-yarder, but Baltimore cannot simply evaluate each miss in isolation. The larger concern is the pattern developing around a position where consistency matters more than almost anywhere else on the roster.

Loop certainly has the leg.

Before the Commanders preseason game, Loop reportedly connected from 74 yards during warmups. His ability has never really been the question. Baltimore has seen enough in practices and warmups to believe Loop possesses the physical tools to become an excellent NFL kicker.

The question is whether he can consistently deliver when the kicks actually count.

That is why Baltimore should bring in competition.

Blake Grupe should be Baltimore’s first call

The Indianapolis Colts released Blake Grupe after Spencer Shrader won their kicking competition, and Baltimore should immediately be interested.

Grupe is 27 years old and already has significant NFL experience.

He finished the 2025 season with Indianapolis by making all 11 of his field-goal attempts and all 10 extra-point attempts. His field goals included a 60-yarder, providing evidence that Grupe has more than enough range for an NFL job.

Grupe did not have a perfect 2026 preseason, making two of four attempts, but his overall summer performance was considerably better than those four kicks suggest. Reports out of Indianapolis indicated Grupe connected on roughly 90 percent of his attempts throughout training camp.

The bigger story was how well Shrader performed.

Shrader went 5-for-5 during the preseason and drilled field goals from 46, 48, 57, 60 and 61 yards. Indianapolis was essentially choosing between two kickers who appeared capable of handling an NFL job.

That is exactly the type of situation Baltimore should take advantage of.

The Ravens do not need to declare Grupe their kicker immediately.

Bring him to Owings Mills.

Put him next to Loop.

Make both kickers earn the job.

Competition is healthy at virtually every NFL position, and there is no reason kicker should be treated differently.

Ben Sauls is another name worth watching

Former New York Giants kicker Ben Sauls should also be on Baltimore’s radar.

Sauls appeared in three games for the Giants last season and made all eight of his field-goal attempts while also converting all seven extra-point attempts.

New York eventually went with rookie Dominic Zvada following its preseason competition.

Sauls was waived with an injury settlement, so Baltimore would obviously need to determine his medical status before seriously considering him.

If healthy, however, Sauls belongs on the Ravens’ workout list.

A young kicker who has already gone 8-for-8 in NFL regular-season action deserves consideration when Baltimore’s current kicker is struggling to establish consistency.

Jason Sanders brings veteran experience

Jason Sanders represents another potential option.

Sanders has extensive NFL kicking experience and would give Baltimore something completely different from Loop: a veteran who has already dealt with the pressure and expectations that come with kicking in the NFL.

Sanders would not necessarily be my first choice.

Grupe is more intriguing because of how well he kicked during the final portion of last season and throughout much of Indianapolis’ training camp.

But Baltimore should not be looking for one specific kicker right now.

The Ravens should be building a list.

Bring multiple kickers in.

Make them kick under pressure.

Make them kick from 45, 50 and 55 yards.

Put the team around them.

Create situations in practice that feel as close to a real game as possible.

Then determine who gives Baltimore the best chance to win.

Loop still deserves a chance

None of this means the Ravens should immediately give up on Tyler Loop.

Loop made 88.2 percent of his field-goal attempts during his rookie season. That is hardly the performance of somebody who does not belong in the NFL.

He has also demonstrated tremendous leg strength.

There is absolutely a scenario where Loop responds to competition, improves his consistency and becomes Baltimore’s kicker for years.

That would probably be the best outcome for everyone involved.

But making Loop compete for the job is very different from simply assuming he should have it.

Baltimore should not be afraid of potentially hurting the confidence of a kicker. The NFL is a results-driven league. Every player on the roster faces competition.

Loop should too.

Baltimore cannot afford another kicking disaster

The Ravens know better than almost any NFL organization how valuable an elite kicker can be.

For years, Baltimore entered close games believing that once the offense crossed a certain point on the field, three points were almost guaranteed.

That was an enormous advantage.

The Ravens no longer have that luxury.

The AFC is too competitive for Baltimore to allow kicker uncertainty to become a season-long issue.

A division race between the Ravens, Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns could easily come down to one game.

One game could come down to one possession.

And one possession could come down to one kick.

Baltimore already experienced exactly that scenario against Pittsburgh.

The Ravens should not wait for it to happen again.

The Ravens should act now

Blake Grupe becoming available gives general manager Eric DeCosta an opportunity to address the situation before the regular season begins.

Baltimore does not need to panic.

It does not need to cut Loop tomorrow.

It simply needs competition.

Bring Grupe in first.

Check on Sauls.

Work out Sanders or another veteran.

Continue evaluating kickers who become available during roster cutdowns.

Then let the best kicker win.

Loop has enough talent to keep the job. His rookie performance and tremendous range are legitimate reasons for Baltimore to remain patient with him.

But patience and complacency are not the same thing.

The Ravens have legitimate Super Bowl expectations in 2026.

They cannot enter another season hoping their kicker becomes reliable when they have the ability to make him prove it.

Right now, Baltimore has a Tyler Loop problem.

The easiest way to find out whether Loop is also the solution is to finally give him some competition.