If any kicker has earned the benefit of the doubt, it’s Baltimore Ravens’ kicker Justin Tucker.
The sports world felt Justin Tucker was infallible. He was the exception to the rule. For more than a decade, Justin Tucker did what few —if any— could ever do. From his rookie season when he knocked through a double overtime game-winner in the subzero weather of Denver to his six field goal affair to defeat the Detroit Lions in 2013 to his 66-yard game-winner in Detroit in 2021. He has been the greatest kicker in NFL history and appeared invulnerable to bad performances.
But 13 years into his career, he’s had the worst season of his career. He’s gone from being the closest to perfection in NFL kicking to looking mortal.
Tucker’s missed eight kicks. He’s missed two PATs. His career field goal accuracy fell from over 90% to 89.032%, putting him second on the all-time leaderboard.
After his career-worst game, missing two field goals and a PAT — the first time he’s missed three kicks in a game in 208 games — fans are ready for him to be gone.
But if anybody’s earned the right to work through a bad season, it’s the greatest kicker in NFL history.
It’s Bad, But Let’s Recalibrate
Prior to this season, Tucker’s worst year was 2015 where he went 33-of-40. He attempted the most kicks of any player that season. His misses were one from 40-49 and the remaining ones from 50+. He finished with 82.5% accuracy. Only 43 kickers in history have a career that good. There are nine active kickers right now with worse career accuracy than Tucker’s worst season.
- Greg Joseph — 82.48
- Michael Badgley — 82.35
- Greg Zuerlein — 82.24
- Evan McPherson — 81.74
- Joey Slye — 81.71
- Brandon McManus — 81.67
- Mason Crosby — 81.3
- Brett Maher — 79.86
- Zane Gonzalez — 79.66
This season is worse, no doubt. But, take into account Tucker’s worst season prior to 2024 is something others would hope to achieve.
Kickers Can Come Back from Bad Seasons
Other kickers have gone through terrible seasons, yet rebounded. Kickers that aren’t on Tucker’s level, and some that are. Even one of them is above him now, as Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker is No. 1 in all-time accuracy after Tucker’s bad season.
Harrison Butker
In 2022, Butker finished with a career-worst 75% accuracy, going 18-of-24. He missed six kicks and three PATs.
In Week 6, he missed a 51-yard field goal against the Buffalo Bills. Six plays later with the short field, the Bills scored to take a 17-10 lead in the third quarter, and eventually won that game by four points.
In Week 12, Butker missed a 55-yard field goal with 3:25 remaining to tie the Cincinnati Bengals. They lost by those three points, as the Bengals gained the remaining three first downs necessary to run out the clock.
Butker cost them games. The Chiefs graced him with a season to work through his issues and were rewarded the next season when he had a career-best 94.3% the next season.
Chris Boswell
In 2018, Boswell, currently the No. 4 most-accurate kicker in NFL history, had a spell worse than Tucker’s current season. He went 13-of-20, missing seven kicks inside of 49 yards, for 65% accuracy. Boswell also missed five extra points that season.
In Week 1, Boswell missed a game-winning overtime 42-yarder to the Cleveland Browns. Instead, they tied, 21-21.
The next week Boswell missed a field goal and extra point in a 42-37 loss to the Chiefs. Four points off the board in a five-point game.
The Steelers lost in Week 14 by three points to the Oakland Raiders where he missed two field goals. A 39-yarder in the second quarter and a 40-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to tie it up after a hook-and-ladder gained them 43 yards to put them in such good range.
That season, Boswell, similarly to Tucker, said his issues were mechanical and mental. The Steelers tested Boswell, bringing in both Kai Forbath and Matt McCrane for tryouts. But they stuck with him and were rewarded with the next two seasons being his career bests, back-to-back.
And when Boswell had another bad season in 2022, going 20-for-28 (71.4%), due in part to injury and plain poor performance, special teams coordinator Danny Smith made changes to Boswell’s routine in hopes of it benefitting the then-31-year-old.
Once more, Boswell returned to his accurate self. He went 29-of-31 (93.5%) in 2023. This season, he’s 34-of-37 (91.9%).
Stick With Tucker
The list of kickers to regain their accuracy after a bad season doesn’t end with these two. Robbie Gould did so in 2014-2015 and Mason Crosby did so in 2012-2013. There are others, too. The Ravens would be wise to not cast out Tucker so quickly.
This season has shown Tucker is not the exception to the rule. Kickers have bad seasons. But to excommunicate the greatest kicker in NFL history over a one-season slump would be a foolish, reactionary decision.
No, it won’t be pleasant. He’ll likely miss a couple more, sadly. It won’t be confidence you feel when he steps onto the field for a 40+ yard attempt for the rest of the season. But there’s nobody you should trust more than Tucker to find his way back.