After making the eyebrow-raising decision to draft Tyler Loop in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Arizona, the Baltimore Ravens have decided to move on from long-time kicker Justin Tucker.

Formally announcing the decision on Monday afternoon, mere moments after it was broken by NFL insiders, Ravens executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta released a statement on the decision, thanking Tucker for his services while detailing the reasoning behind the release.

“Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances. Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker,” DeCosta wrote.

“Justin created many significant and unforgettable moments in Ravens history. His reliability, focus, drive, resilience, and extraordinary talent made him one of the league's best kickers for over a decade. We are grateful for Justin's many contributions while playing for the Ravens. We sincerely wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter of their lives.”

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Designating Tucker for a post-June 1 release, the Ravens are set to save $4.2 million against the cap in 2025. With $11.45 million under the cap right now, according to Over The Cap, the Ravens would theoretically now have over $16 million heading into the summer, with an ability to fold that over into 2026, use it to sign the few existing free agents that remain on the open market, or even extend their own player, including Kyle Hamilton, who just had his fifth-year option picked up.

When the Ravens drafted Loop in the sixth round, Adam Schefter noted that the team was “making a statement,” though at the time, no one really knew what that meant. Now, it's clear: the Ravens were ready to move on from Tucker without a kicking competition in training camp. Buckle up, Ravens fans, as the Loop era of Baltimore football has officially begun.