The NFL was expected to be in a golden age for placekicking.
But that doesn’t seem to be the case for fans in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati right now.
Justin Tucker, Jake Elliott, and Evan McPherson — all of whom have been some of the most reliable kickers in recent years — are struggling, and it’s become a major issue. This is surprising not only because of their past successes, but also because this is an era where missed kicks are rare.
“It’s certainly frustrating, especially when we know that these (Ravens-Steelers) games come down to the wire, like this one did today, that I let a couple get away,” Tucker said after missing two field goals in the Ravens’ 18-16 loss to Pittsburgh last weekend.
“But, like I’ve said before, the only thing that we can do is just get right back to work and focus on making the most out of our next opportunity.”
Tucker, a five-time All-Pro, has been a standout for most of his career. With his powerful leg, accuracy, and ability to perform under pressure, many consider him to be the greatest kicker of all time. He’s stood out even as expectations for kickers across the league have risen.
This season, kickers across the NFL are making 84.9% of their field-goals. While this is slightly down from last year’s 85.9%, it still ranks among the most accurate seasons in NFL history. For field goals of 50 yards or more, kickers are making 71.9% of the time in 2024. Thirty years ago, that number was below 40%.
Despite the league-wide accuracy, Tucker has missed six field goals this season. Two weeks ago, the Ravens had to overcome a missed extra point in a win over Cincinnati.
“He’s going to get it figured out. We have coaches. We have technique. We look at the tape,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s practicing well. He’s got to kick it straight.”
Tucker did make a game-tying 56-yard field goal against Cincinnati last month, and the Ravens won in overtime. But in that same game, McPherson missed a 53-yard field goal that would have won it for the Bengals.
McPherson had a strong start to his career, making 9 of 11 field goals from 50-plus yards in 2021, and he made all 14 of his field-goal attempts in the playoffs. However, his performance this season has been much more inconsistent.
In a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, with the score tied, McPherson missed two field goals from 48 and 51 yards in the fourth quarter, and the Bengals lost 34-27.
“He knows to make those kicks,” star receiver Ja’Marr Chase said. “That’s why we paid him those bucks — to make those kicks in crunch time.”
The Eagles have won six straight games, so they’re in a better situation than the Ravens and Bengals. But Elliott’s struggles have raised some concerns. In a win over Washington on Thursday night, he missed two field goals and an extra point.
“We have so much faith in him,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “This team believes so much in Jake Elliott because of his track record and who he is and the teammate he is and the captain he is.”
After earning second-team All-Pro honors last season, Elliott signed a four-year, $24 million extension in March. This was followed by big contract extensions for Cleveland’s Dustin Hopkins (three years, $15.9 million), Kansas City’s Harrison Butker (four years, $25.6 million), and McPherson (three years, $16.5 million).
Elliott has missed five field goals this season, while Hopkins and McPherson have missed six each. Butker has kicked well, though he recently had surgery on his non-kicking knee.
There is still time left in the season for these struggling kickers to get back on track. Their past performances suggest they could recover, but for teams like Baltimore and Philadelphia, it’s crucial because they are both likely to make the playoffs. And once there, the kicking game will be even more important.
At the start of the season, few would have expected the Ravens and Eagles to face any kicking issues. Now, it’s a real concern.
“He’s definitely our best option, and he’s going to make a lot of kicks — I really believe that — going forward,” Harbaugh said. “But it’s up to him. It’s up to him and the guys he works with every day to make those balls go straight.”
