The vast majority of players on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad are either developmental young/international talent or experienced veterans who are there for emergency depth whenever the need or injury or someone on the 53-man roster arises.
However, only one has a chance to challenge for a meaningful role on this year’s team, and that’s fourth-year kicker Jake Moody.
After going through the entire offseason program and training camp unopposed, Ravens’ second-year kicker Tyler Loop didn’t inspire much confidence in his ability to consistently execute in live action after going 5-of-8 on field goal attempts during the preseason, including missing two of three in the finale.
This unfortunate development is coming on the heels of a massive letdown to what was an otherwise solid rookie season Loop, where he went 30-of-34 field goals. However, his last attempt infamously went wide right from under 50 yards in the 2025 regular-season finale, sending the Pittsburgh Steelers into the playoffs and eliminating the Ravens.
Moody just lost a kicking competition for the Washington Commanders’ starting job to undrafted rookie Drew Stevens after getting outdueled in the preseason despite only being allowed to attempt one field goal and one extra point during the three-game slate. Meanwhile, Stevens was given every opportunity to establish himself and win the job, getting to attempt five field goals and converting four, and he made both of his extra points.
While the Ravens would want nothing more than for the first kicker they’ve ever spent a draft pick on in franchise history to rebound and put his struggles behind him, they can’t have a liability in one of the most critical aspects of their special teams unit that could, as they saw last year, literally make or break their playoff hopes.
Last year, even though the Ravens waived undrafted rookie kicker John Hoyland before the preseason even got underway, having actual competition up until that point was beneficial for Loop, as he went 9-of-11 on field goals and 8-of-8. Having an even more experienced competitor pushing him and breathing down his neck in what is already a make-or-break situation could be just the motivation he needs to get on track.
“We have got to make kicks. [It gives us a] fresh set of legs to look at, evaluate, compare, see how it all works out,” general manager Eric DeCosta said. “In the end, it is a performance business, right? [It] starts with me. We have got to do our job.
“It is the thing where we want to try and be consistent across the board and have enough competition. Looking at it this preseason, we decided it was probably worthwhile to bring somebody else in to see how they look.”
In Baltimore, Moody has a chance to continue rewriting the narrative of his career and show Loop that having a rough start to a career doesn’t mean it can’t be salvaged with another chance at redemption.
After being the highest kicker drafted since Roberto Aguayo in 2016, Moody’s career as a San Francisco 49er got off to an uneven start, to say the least, as the third-rounder out of Michigan. His rookie season played out similarly to Loop’s, missing four kicks, but his second year was when his struggles were especially glaring and detrimental to the team, as he missed a whopping 10 kicks, all of which came from 40-plus yards.
The team still stood by him heading into 2025 until he missed two of his first three attempts in the regular-season opener, both of which came from under 40 yards. Just when it seemed like his career was circling the drain, he bounced back and made the most of his next two opportunities that came later that season.
Moody was signed to the Chicago Bears practice squad and appeared in two games, going 8-of-9 on field goals, including a walk-off game-winner against the Commanders, who he’d finish the season with. In Washington, he appeared in six games and converted 10 of his 11 field goal attempts, including a long one of 56.
While Loop wasn’t drafted nearly as high, he inherited the colossal task of having to replace a franchise and NFL legend in seven-time Pro Bowler Justin Tucker. By competing with and learning from Moody, he can get his own career back on track, avoid any further setbacks and inspire confidence among the team and fan base that he is indeed the right man for the job.
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