{"id":11580753,"date":"2025-07-26T16:52:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T20:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/?p=11580753"},"modified":"2025-07-27T14:25:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T18:25:50","slug":"ravens-kicker-battle-training-camp-tyler-loop-john-hoyland-special-teams-chris-horton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/2025\/07\/26\/ravens-kicker-battle-training-camp-tyler-loop-john-hoyland-special-teams-chris-horton\/","title":{"rendered":"Ravens special teams coordinator explains thinking behind kicker battle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ravens decision-makers won\u2019t figure out who their next kicker is based solely on which one drives the ball through the uprights more often during training camp over the next few weeks. There\u2019s a tad more nuance than that, according to special teams coordinator Chris Horton.<\/p>\n

If it were so simple, Tyler Loop would be leading in the polls. The first kicker drafted in Ravens history<\/a> made all 23 of his field goal attempts during the first week of training camp in Owings Mills. His challenger, undrafted rookie John Hoyland, has converted 16 of 18 attempts, including a 42-yard miss on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the winner shows,\u201d Horton said, \u201cit\u2019s gonna show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horton didn\u2019t reveal any specific timeline for when he hopes that might happen. They\u2019ll both get valuable work, he said, in practice and in preseason games \u2014 which implies that Baltimore might go into the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 7 with two options.<\/p>\n

What goes into one player emerging from the two-man pack?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about consistency in everything that we do,\u201d Horton said. \u201cEspecially at that position. We want to see kicks made, right? We want to see good foot-to-ball contact. There\u2019s a process about how these guys are going about it and where they\u2019re kicking from and where they\u2019re kicking in practice and the things that [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] is talking to these guys about every day.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne might look more powerful than the other,\u201d Horton added, \u201cbut the kicks are there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans making the trip to the Under Armour Performance Center have been treated to something they haven\u2019t seen since 2012. Even with Loop as the front-runner, it\u2019s the first kicking competition since the now-embroiled Justin Tucker\u2019s rookie year.<\/p>\n

In May, the Ravens released Tucker<\/a> for in what they called a “football decision,” a reference to the down year the NFL\u2019s most accurate kicker endured in 2024. The release, and complementary decision to draft Loop in the sixth round in April, came on the heels of a monthslong league investigation into several sexual misconduct allegations<\/a> brought against Tucker earlier this year.<\/p>\n

In late June, the 35-year-old kicker was suspended by the NFL<\/a> for the first 10 games of the regular season. He can serve the suspension despite not being on a roster. If a team chooses to sign him, he would be allowed to participate in training camp and preseason games. The suspension takes effect on Aug. 26, and Tucker can be reinstated on Nov. 11.<\/p>\n

The Ravens are rightfully more concerned with the kicking competition brewing in Owings Mills. Through four days of practice, each kicker has taken one day off.<\/p>\n

\"Ravens
\u201cIt\u2019s all about consistency in everything that we do,\u201d Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton said. (Kenneth K. Lam\/staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Loop entered training camp as the odds-on favorite. His workload reflects that. Despite an imperfect performance at rookie minicamp and organized team activities, he has been sharp the first week of full-team practice. Loop hasn\u2019t missed a kick in three days of situational attempts. His best was a 63-yarder to end his practice on Friday and a 68-yarder without a defense that the team caught on camera.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good test day,\u201d Harbaugh said after Friday\u2019s practice. \u201cHe had kicks kind of situationally all week, and then to come out here and take it deep like that is a good day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added Horton: \u201cWith Tyler, the thing we understand is when we brought him in and we looked at him, the dude has a strong leg. Technically, he\u2019s sound. He kicks the ball the way we want to kick the ball. He\u2019s been consistent. And that\u2019s what we\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoyland, the kicker vying to knock off Loop, hasn\u2019t been a slouch either. He’s just slightly off perfection, which can be troubling for a positional battle with razor-thin margins.<\/p>\n