It's rare for a team to use its franchise tag on a kicker, but that's exactly what the Ravens did with Justin Tucker. Baltimore franchised Tucker, guaranteeing the one-time All-Pro will be paid $4.57 million this upcoming season, according to Tucker's agent Robert S. Roche. This means Tucker will be the highest-paid kicker in football, surpassing Stephen Gostkowski of the New England Patriots.
Ravens franchise kicker Justin Tucker
Perhaps the Ravens are still spooked by Billy Cundiff’s infamous missed field goal in the 2012 AFC Championship.
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Tucker, 26, has been one of the best kickers in football over the last four years, converting 87.8 percent of his field goal attempts. In 2013, Tucker tied the Ravens' franchise record when he hit six field goals in Baltimore's 18-16 win over the Detroit Lions on Dec. 16, 2013. He also booted through a 61-yard attempt, which is the longest field goal in Ravens history.
Tucker struggled a bit in 2015, missing a career-high seven field goals. Considering the Ravens lost nine games by one possession last season, Tucker’s right foot could’ve probably improved their record if he had been a little more accurate.
Despite that, Baltimore has elected to ensure Tucker sticks around for another season, which could be a result of how the Ravens lost the AFC Championship in 2012. Down by three points against the New England Patriots in the game's waning moments, Billy Cundiff was called upon for a 32-yard chip shot. It seemed as if the Ravens were guaranteed to force the game into overtime, but then the ball went wide left.
The following spring, the Ravens added Tucker as an undrafted free agent and invited him to training camp to compete with Cundiff. Tucker wound up winning the job and immediately established himself as a reliable option, converting all of his extra points and only missing three field goals.
Kicker is often one of the most overlooked positions in football. But as the Ravens learned the hard way four years ago, having a bad one can torpedo your season.
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