The Baltimore Ravens made history in April by drafting a kicker for the first time ever—Arizona’s Tyler Loop in the sixth round. It was a move that signaled the end of an era, and one that came with serious weight. Loop wasn’t just brought in to compete. He was brought in to replace Justin Tucker.
Tucker’s release came shortly after the draft and was framed as a football-only decision, though it coincided with ongoing off-field allegations and a noticeable decline in performance. Once the NFL’s most automatic kicker, Tucker had posted a career-worst 73.3% field goal rate in 2024. The writing was on the wall—and Loop was the first line of a new chapter.
But nothing is ever given in Baltimore. Not even after the most high-profile kicker departure in the league.
John Hoyland enters the ring to challenge Tyler Loop
On Monday, the Ravens signed Wyoming kicker John Hoyland, who impressed during a rookie minicamp tryout. The former Cowboy connected on 79.3% of his field goal attempts during his college career and was nearly perfect inside 40 yards, missing just twice in 54 attempts.
It’s not hard to see why the Ravens are intrigued. Hoyland might not have Loop’s booming 62-yard leg, but he brings consistency, confidence, and five full years of collegiate experience. He set a single-season school record for field goals in 2022 and finished his Wyoming career as the all-time leading scorer with 366 points.
Now he’s doing what Tucker did 13 years ago—trying to make the team as a UDFA after being forgotten about throughout the draft process.
The Ravens have long treated special teams like a core pillar of their identity. It's clear nothing has changed in Charm City. Special teams coordinator Chris Horton’s unit has been among the best in football, and the pressure on Loop to immediately take the reins was already enormous. Now? He’ll have to win the job outright. Hoyland is here to make sure of it.
It won't be the most interesting battle, but in Baltimore, the kicking job matters. Every AFC North game comes down to a handful of plays—and often, a kick. That’s why this competition is more than just procedural. It’s critical.
Loop was drafted to be the next guy up. But Hoyland just flipped the situation on its head and turned it into a two-man race. And after how the Ravens handled Tucker’s exit, they’re not going to let sentiment get in the way of performance. The best leg will win. Nothing more, nothing less.
It’d be a wild twist if the first kicker the Ravens ever drafted ends up getting Tom Brady’d by a tryout guy, but hey—welcome to Baltimore.