Justin Tucker has been one of the NFL’s most consistent kickers for a long time now, and he has no plans to stop anytime soon.
Tucker fielded questions from fans last week during joint practices between the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers, and suggested he isn’t anywhere near finished with his career. The Ravens kicker, who will turn 32 in November, had a joking tone to his comments, but there was probably some truth to it when he said he hoped his Hall of Fame induction was still 20 years away.
“I haven’t even hit my prime yet. We’re just getting started,” Tucker said somewhat jokingly, via Ryan Mink of the Ravens’ official website. “In all seriousness, it is a day-to-day thing. It’s not even day-to-day; it’s one kick to the next — just make the next kick. … I don’t really allow myself time to think about, ‘How long do I want to keep playing or what accolades may I be able to achieve?’ All that stuff will kind of take care of itself. I’m just enjoying the ride.”
Tucker has been the picture of consistency as a kicker, and is already regarded as one of the best in NFL history at the position. His field goal conversion sits at 90.7 percent for his career, and he’s only missed four extra point attempts in 354 career tries. When he does miss one, it’s both genuinely shocking and a huge motivator for him.
We know that kickers can hang around for a long time due to the relatively forgiving physical nature of the position, so another ten years of production is not out of the question. Maybe this guy can give Tucker something to shoot for.
