John Harbaugh addresses Justin Tucker’s struggles

Aug 9, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker walks the sidelines during the second half of a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is having the worst season of his career, at least by his own lofty standards. After two more misses in an 18-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, the question even had to be asked whether the veteran’s job is safe.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh was quick to shut down any talk of a kicking competition, however. Harbaugh said there was no doubt about whether Tucker would remain Baltimore’s kicker, though he did admit that Tucker has to get back to his best form.

There's "no thought" to bringing in kicking competition for Justin Tucker and the Ravens. John Harbaugh speaks to this. Especially a no at this point in the season. pic.twitter.com/bjQocdFleW

— Morgan Adsit (@MorganAdsit) November 18, 2024

“There’s no thought to that. You have to find that competition first, if you’re going to be blunt about it,” Harbaugh said. “The best option right now is to get Justin back on point. He’s fully capable of doing it. We certainly haven’t lost any confidence in Justin Tucker. You saw that on the 54-yarder. We sent him out for it, he drilled it.

“He’s definitely our best option, and he’s going to make a lot of kicks. I really believe that going forward. But it’s up to him and the guys he works with every day to make those balls go straight. Competition, right now, at this time, that’s not something we want for Justin.”

Tucker has long been regarded as one of the NFL’s best and most reliable kickers, which is what makes his struggles in 2024 so surprising. He carried a 90.2 percent field goal conversion rate into the season, but has made just 72.7 percent of his kicks this year. A big part of that is that he has missed four of seven attempts from 50 yards or more, an area he excelled in during his prime.

Tucker has done far too much for the Ravens to abandon him at this point. The misses are concerning, however, and they arguably cost Baltimore the game on Sunday. That will have to change going forward.