Tyler Loop was the only kicker on Baltimore's roster all summer. That changed this week when the Ravens added veteran Jake Moody to the practice squad, and however the team wants to frame it, that's a hedge on a rookie who just had a rocky preseason.
Ravens say they still believe in Tyler Loop as their kicker, but they now have a backup plan. Practice squad, Fagnano and Burke and more (FREE TO READ) t.co/omiDvBRdbg
Loop's path here is a good story on paper. Baltimore took him in the 6th round of the 2025 draft, No. 186 overall, making him the first kicker the franchise has ever drafted. He beat out Justin Tucker's old job in camp and looked the part for most of the summer. Then the preseason got ugly: Loop finished 5-of-8 on field goals, including misses from 58 and 51 yards in the finale.
Moody isn't just a camp arm. He was a 3rd-round pick of the 49ers and has Super Bowl experience, but he arrives in Baltimore fresh off losing his own job in Washington — he missed 4 of 6 attempts in one practice and hit the upright on a 29-yard try in the preseason opener before getting cut. In other words, Baltimore isn't importing a sure thing. It's importing insurance.
Head coach Jesse Minter has been careful with his words, saying he has "a lot of confidence" in Loop and expects him to kick Baltimore's Week 1 game at Indianapolis on September 13. But Minter has also said he wants "every scenario covered" and that Moody will compete on the practice squad — which is coach-speak for the job isn't locked up.
From @gmfb: The #Steelers and CB Joey Porter Jr. are facing a contract deadline as he manages his back injury, #AZCardinals RB Jeremiyah Love is working his way back, the #Cowboys waive QB Joe Milton and the #Ravens add competition for K Tyler Loop.
None of this means Loop is getting benched anytime soon — practice squad kickers get elevated on short notice, not handed the job outright. But for a Ravens team with Super Bowl aspirations and a defense-and-Lamar-Jackson formula that lives and dies on close games, a shaky leg is the kind of thing that turns into a real controversy fast if the misses keep piling up in the regular season.