Justin Tucker has been omnipresent in the Baltimore Ravens’ lineup since his rookie year in 2012. The kicker has enjoyed unparalleled success and longevity at the highest level.
However, this season is unlike any before, and with his costly misses against the Philadelphia Eagles, people have started to question Tucker’s abilities. The former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shared his two cents as well.
Bill Belichick Highlights Technical Issues With Justin Tucker
The 2012 Super Bowl winner missed from 47 yards and 53 yards on back-to-back drives against the Eagles. He also missed an extra-point attempt in the first quarter as well. In the end, Ravens lost the game 19-24.
On Monday (Dec. 2), Belichick made an appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” and dove deep into the topic of Tucker’s slump. “When I look at Tucker, I don’t see a lack of talent,” he said. “He still has great height on the ball. The ball travels with plenty of distance.”
There's real cause and concern when you're missing to the left and the right Coach..
"The way that his ball is moving right now tells me that something isn't the same as it was..
It seems like that's correctable but he's gotta figure out what it is" ~ Bill Belichick #PMSLive https://t.co/eRu0hjpuTC pic.twitter.com/fHomyVlfHh
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 2, 2024
“Clearly, there’s some fundamental technique thing that he’s not doing consistently, and that’s caused them to miss both to the left and to the right.”
Since Tucker’s shots have drifted in both directions, McAfee and Belichick wondered regarding the tilt of the ball as well. Nonetheless, they concluded something has changed to make Tucker miss his kicks.
John Harbaugh Is Sticking by Tucker
After the loss, the head coach was questioned regarding Tucker’s expensive misses in the game. However, John Harbaugh is sticking with his man, at least for now. “If you are asking me if we are gonna move on from Justin Tucker, I’m not really planning on doing that right now,” he said.
Harbaugh further highlighted that Tucker understands the cost of his misses. “He’ll be the first to tell you he needs to make as many kicks as he can, but if you look at Justin Tucker’s history, you have to say he’s capable of doing that.”
“Nobody wants to make those kicks more than Justin does, I promise you that,” said Harbaugh. He reiterated his point from earlier by saying, “We’re not moving on from him. That wouldn’t be wise.”
Justin Tucker’s Contract and Salary
In 2022, the Ravens and Tucker agreed to a four-year, $24 million contract extension, which included $17.5 million guaranteed. Tucker is scheduled to hit free agency in 2028.
He’s currently the second-highest-paid kicker in the NFL, with an average annual value of $6 million. The only kicker earning more than Tucker is Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who is bringing in an average of $6.4 million annually.
Tucker’s base salary for the 2024 season is $1,210,000 with a signing bonus of $1,100,000 and a $1,772,500 restructure bonus. His cap hit is a little over $4 million this season.
Given the guaranteed money in his deal, the Ravens would have to take on a significant dead-cap hit if they want to move on from Tucker after this season.
Throughout the course of Tucker’s career, he has earned $51,073,599 from his NFL contracts alone. The only kicker in NFL history who has earned more than Tucker is Adam Vinatieri, who made $51,131,999 during his playing days.