Baltimore Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop lined up his field-goal attempt against his team’s arch-rival as an AFC North title and a spot in the playoffs hung in the balance on Sunday. Make the kick, and you’re in. Miss it, and your season is over.
The Steelers’ home crowd buzzed with uneasy anticipation in the bitter cold of an early-January night in Pittsburgh. The Ravens had just converted an improbable 4th-and-7 into a 26-yard gain and a chance to win the game. Forty-four yards. Not a “gimme,” but Loop should make it.
Snap good, spot good. The kick? Wide right.
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A distraught Loop covered his face in the moments after his miss as he was consoled by his holder (and the team’s punter), Jordan Stout. But in the locker room after the game, with Ravens longsnapper Nick Moore and Stout standing behind him in an act of support, Loop bravely faced the media and pointed to the One who sustains him.
“I had written down a little prayer before the game and [I was] just re-reading it,” he said. “Faith is a big part of my life, and right now I’m reading the Book of Romans. In Romans 8, it says, ‘God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.’
“… Just reminding myself that, ‘Hey, you know, God’s got my back even when stuff sucks.'”
“God’s got my back, even when stuff sucks.”
This is awesome to see from Ravens kicker Tyler Loop answering questions and pointing to the Lord after a tough loss Sunday night against Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/nQAPhLelky
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) January 5, 2026
“I just want to say I’m super grateful to Baltimore — the organization, the city — just how they’ve embraced me this year has been incredible,” Loop also told the media. “Just for it to end like that sucks, and I want to do better. Unfortunately the nature of the job is you have makes, and then unfortunately you have misses. And for that to happen tonight sucks.”
Loop expressed how much his teammates and coaches had supported him throughout his first NFL season, and that continued in the wake of his season-ending miss. In addition to the support from Moore and Stout, star running back and fellow Christ-follower Derrick Henry also spoke about Loop to the media.
“I feel for Tyler,” Henry said. “I talked to him. I told him just keep his spirits up. Deal with it tonight, and tomorrow the sun rises again. I just told him that the story after this is gonna be great for him, because God put him in this position to use him as an example to something that is adversity. And then I can’t wait to see him overcome it on the other side.
“But I just told [Loop] to trust God’s plan. He wouldn’t put him in this position if he wasn’t strong enough to handle it. I know it’s tough right now, but I think when it’s all said and done, he’ll look back on it and appreciate the moment.”
Loop was drafted out of Arizona by the Ravens in the sixth round in last April’s NFL Draft, the second kicker selected, four spots behind Andres Borregales of the New England Patriots. Loop made an instant impact in Baltimore’s locker room by winning the starting job in the preseason. He then made 30 of 34 field goals (88.2%) and 44 of 46 extra-point attempts (95.7%) in the regular season, and he did not miss a field-goal attempt from less than 50 yards until Sunday night.
Before beginning his professional career, the Lucas, Texas, native spent five successful collegiate seasons with the Wildcats, earning second-team All-Pac 12 honors in 2023 and being named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2024. He converted on 67 of 80 field-goal attempts (83.8%) and 126 of 128 extra-point attempts (98.4%) during his time in Tucson.
Loop — who describes himself as a “Jesus super fan” in his X bio and a “Follower of Christ” on Instagram — isn’t afraid to post about his faith in Jesus on social media. He even shared his testimony of faith on Instagram for the world to see.
View this post on Instagram
After his college career ended with a 49-7 loss to rival Arizona State, Loop took to Instagram to thank the Tucson community for his college football experience.
“I am deeply grateful for all that God has provided me here — people, relationships, and opportunities,” he captioned his post. “I have been truly blessed and am excited to follow Christ into whatever chapter He has planned for my life. Forever and always, Bear Down.”
View this post on Instagram
Another offseason now awaits Loop and his Ravens teammates, preparing to once again chase an AFC North championship in 2026-27. For Loop, the memory of how this season ended will surely be a painful one all summer, but by God’s grace, it will be one in which Loop knows his Heavenly Father was at work to increase his joy in Him.
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<
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