Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop has had a turbulent road to the 2026 regular season. It’s really been that way since the end of the 2025 campaign, and with Week 1 just a month away, there’s plenty of uncertainty.
In training camp, Loop has done everything in his power to convince coaches that he’s the guy. The second-year pro has made kick after kick. Thursday’s joint practice against the Minnesota Vikings was no different, as he went 6-for-6 on field goal tries, his longest being from 53 yards.
There’s one notable caveat to that flawless outing, though: according to reports, the Vikings weren’t rushing Loop at full speed. For a player who’s been questioned about his performance under pressure, that strong showing didn’t exactly bring much reassurance.
Baltimore Ravens need Tyler Loop to carry camp success into game action
It was great to see Tyler Loop rebound after an uneven 2026 preseason debut. He missed his first attempt against the Philadelphia Eagles, pushing one wide right from 49 yards out, but he bounced back with a 42-yard make and has been perfect in camp since that game.
Camp success isn’t enough for Ravens fans anymore, though. He had great stretches in camp last year and has been a constant standout this time around. But in 2025, he was inconsistent from distance and in the big moments. He was 1-for-4 from 50-plus yards out and faltered in the biggest moment of the season with that Week 18 miss.
To start 2026, inconsistency could remain an issue.
It’s not just that one preseason game either. During Baltimore’s practice at the University of Maryland, Loop had his roughest day of training camp, going 1-for-3. Sure, he hit a clutch field goal to help the team avoid push-ups, but the shakiness in front of big crowds has been concerning.
This trend puts a major spotlight on Loop entering Week 2 of preseason action against the Vikings. The Ravens need more from him, and they’ll want to see his practice success translate to game action.
If Loop proves unreliable once more on Saturday, then talks need to be had about his future. He doesn’t have anyone breathing down his neck, looking to take his spot. And he hasn’t had that since 2025 undrafted kicker John Hoyland, who didn’t make it to preseason last year.
Maybe that needs to change. Maybe Baltimore should start searching for some competition to push Loop to be better.
Head coach Jesse Minter still has confidence in Loop. However, he also noted that it comes down to him making kicks when the situations arise. That puts an emphasis on Loop to step his game up, and he must prove he’s up for the challenge against Minnesota—it’s going to be a pivotal day for him.
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