Kicker Jake Moody Making Strong Impression In Bid To Win Ravens Job

Tyler Loop, a 2025 draft pick, is still the only kicker on the active roster but Moody is getting regular work on the practice squad

Dec 20, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders place kicker Jake Moody (16) kicks a field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Ravens kicking landscape has certainly changed this week, but it remains to be seen if it has changed for the better.

For the first time since being drafted in 2025, Ravens kicker Tyler Loop faces real competition from Jake Moody, a veteran former third-round pick who was signed to the practice squad after Loop missed two more kicks Friday night in the exhibition finale. Loop missed a 44-yard kick to send Baltimore out of the playoffs in Week 18 last season and missed three of eight attempts in the preseason games, all three in his home stadium.

It was clear listening to head coach Jesse Minter after that last exhibition game that competition was coming. Moody is already working with kicking guru Randy Brown, and the Ravens should have had a veteran here to push Loop all along. Ravens special teams coordinator Anthony Levine Sr. said Wednesday that Loop is handling things as well as could be, and it wasn’t lost on the youngster that the dynamics were about to change on this roster after Friday’s misses.

“I called him and told him what was going on,” Levine said, of how Loop got the news. “He already knew … He said, ‘Coach, I’m ready for it, I understand what’s going on, and I’m going to accept this challenge.’”

Minter tried to downplay the situation somewhat in his comments Monday after the Moody signing became official, but the reality is, Moody could be elevated at any point that the Ravens believe he offers the best chance to make a kick and win a game. While Moody has also struggled beyond 50 yards – like Loop – he has a longer resume and has been with Minter (at Michigan) and with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle (in Chicago) and finished last season strong with Washington.

“I expect him to be our kicker going into Indy,” Minter said Monday of Loop.

Daily Battle

The Ravens can set up an in-practice competition at any point and have Loop and Moody go back and forth from various lengths and compete for the roster spot. Loop could also end up on the practice squad himself – he’d have to clear waivers first – and the reality is many young kickers have to bounce around before they break through; what the Ravens found with their former kicker, Justin Tucker, is anything but the norm.

Levine spoke highly of what he’s seen from Moody so far.

“He looks good, he’s doing good,” Levine said of the newcomer. “He’s a great guy. I like being around him ... We’ll see how he continues to do.”

Of course, practices are essentially fully behind closed doors now with training camp over, so the Ravens can keep the ebbs and flows of this situation internal for the most part. Loop was adamant how much he believes in his process all summer, and he’s earned raves for the work he does in practice. But his position is all about game results and he has continued to push kicks wide.

On multiple occasions Wednesday Levine repeated that carrying that practice form into games is “not that hard,” but of course the mental component is a different realm than the physical.

Bottom line in the NFL is young kickers are looking capable from 60-yards plus, kicks of 50 yards are expected to be made and Loop, even at his best with a small sample size so far, has not been good from distance in any real setting.

Outside personnel execs who have worked with proven kickers in the past and have kept an eye on this situation have pointed out to me on multiple instances that this appears to be more mental than physical to them, including during Friday’s game when Loop's body language was indicative of these struggles.

“It’s not really hard as long as you stay within your mechanics and techniques, and stay locked in on your swing,” Levine said of getting it to carryover.

Moody, 26, has been through more of these competitions than Loop and come out on various sides of it, with the 49ers (despite drafting him so high), Bears and Commanders all moving on from him. Perhaps he is better for all of it, and at this point may the best kicker prevail.

“Competition brings out the best in everybody,” Levine noted, which, of course was also true back when the offseason began and the Ravens had 90 roster spots to allocate and didn’t think another one should be devoted here.