After Loop lost and Baltimore lost, the Ravens parted ways with longtime coach John Harbaugh, replaced him with former Ravens assistant and Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, and spent the offseason rebuilding the roster. Loop’s work was never in doubt, though; after a 30-for-34 season, the Ravens were happy with what they got from their sixth-round pick in his first pro campaign.
Now comes the test of Loop’s resilience. After ending 2025 with a heartbreaking loss, his first attempt in 2026 will draw extra attention, a moment Loop can only prepare for by altering practice kicks like the one he drilled Wednesday.
“I think whenever that’s your situation as you go through high school, college, all the way up, you realize you’ve got to live through good times and bad times,” Minter said Wednesday. “It’s a process-driven situation. You just have to be able to wash out the bad things that happen. Trust your process. I thought he had a really good rookie year overall, but of course we’re judged by some of our biggest moments. We want to create opportunities for him to have those moments in front of people — in front of the team.
Baltimore’s fan base has long lived in a world of kicking privilege. The Ravens spent 13 years trusting Justin Tucker to transition, and save for an underwhelming breakout season in 2024, he never finished below an 82.5 percent conversion rate in any of his first 12 years.
It’s an uphill battle for Loop to achieve. Although his most memorable rookie season kick was a fumble, he mostly stabilized the situation at a time when things could have easily descended into revolving door territory.
Another year will be about building on his success – and moving on from that one mistake.
“Nobody wishes they could get that kick back more than me, but I’ve got to keep going,” Loop said.