Tyler Loop's Redemption Marks Start Of A New Legacy With Ravens

Prior to the literal final second of Sunday's international showdown with the Dallas Cowboys, 266 days had passed since the first game-winning kick opportunity presented itself to Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop.

Back then, he was a rookie tasked with filling the shoes of an all-time franchise and NFL legend in Justin Tucker, with the Ravens' playoff hopes hanging in the balance.

Unfortunately, he didn't convert from 44 yards out, and his wide right miss on the road against the team's archrival Pittsburgh Steelers cast a shroud of doubt and skepticism that hovered over his head from the outside looking in all offseason and during a tumultuous preseason.

When the 2025 sixth-rounder stepped onto the field at Maracanã Stadium after quarterback Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers picked up a 27-yard chunk to set him up for a 56-yarder, it was a potentially legacy-redefining moment, and he seized it by just sneaking the ball inside the left upright for the walk-off victory.

WALKOFF WINNER FOR TYLER LOOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MORE HIGHLIGHTS https://t.co/CLXPfDU5iM pic.twitter.com/jFcNrts8u4
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 27, 2026

To go from being consoled by his teammates in the wake of agonizing defeat, eight months ago in Pittsburgh, to being carried off the field by them in Brazil was a vindicating full-circle moment that Loop will never forget.

"[There has] been a lot of stuff that has happened between the end of last season and now," Loop said postgame. "It has been a pleasure to have teammates like these guys and the rest of the locker room stand behind me and support me. It has been a lot of reflection on my side from a spiritual standpoint of — man, football is a gift, it is meant to be enjoyed — and God has grown that a lot in me.

For someone who leans so much on his faith, it seemed fitting, if not outright divine providence, that Loop's moment of redemption came in a historical soccer stadium in a city with a massive statue of Jesus looking over it, called Christ the Redeemer.

At one point less than a month ago, it felt like Loop's days in Baltimore were on the brink of coming to an end if his preseason struggles persisted into the regular season. The team went as far as to bring in veteran kicker Jake Moody on the practice squad to compete with him and provide them with potential insurance.

Loop responded to the new arrival and all the other forms of adversity he's faced since his rookie year ended as positively as the coaches and executives could've imagined. He has made five of his first six field goal attempts this season, with the only unsuccessful try being a result of a block that was out of his control in Week 2.

Ravens fans and pundits in attendance, back in Baltimore and abroad waited with bated breath as Loop trotted out onto the field to attempt a kick from a range that he struggled from last season and was just one yard shy of matching his career-long record. However, one of the teammates who helped set him up from the moment never doubted him for a second and knew it would end the negative narratives surrounding him and begin a newfound belief in his ability.

"I was saying on the sideline, 'Your legacy starting now,' because I feel like he has been facing adversity," Jackson said. "I said, 'What a way to start your legacy in Brazil,' and he finished the rest. He did it. Shout out to special teams, shout out to Loop."

Loop explains what prompted iconic soccer celebration

Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop and punter Ryan Eckley after making the game winning field goal against the Dallas Cowboys — Sep 27, 2026; Rio De Janeiro, BRA; Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop (33) and punter Ryan Eckley (30) after Loop kicks the game winning field during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Maracana Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hours before he knocked through what CBS play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz aptly dubbed the 'Trio in Rio', Loop and fellow specials talked about what their celebration should be if they got a chance to attempt and ultimately make a game-winning kick.

"Ryan Eckley, the punter, was like, 'Hey, you know what would be sick is if we hit a game-winner, we go knee-slide in the end zone.' I was like, 'Dude, there is no way. I am not knee-sliding," Loop said. "I feel like I am going to faceplant.' As I was running, I was like, 'Knee-slide?' I just landed on the [Cristiano] Ronaldo celebration."

After he successfully snuck the attempt inside the left upright, Loop sprinted to the opposite end zone as his teammates stormed the field to give chase. Before they could dogpile on him, Loop jumped up and nailed Ronaldo's "Siuuu" celebration, and they proceeded to lift him up on their shoulders.

SIUUUU!!! pic.twitter.com/sUndoGUqKp
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 28, 2026

"The amount of flak that he faced at the end of last year and just put his head down, never complained, just worked his butt off this whole season. For that moment to happen like that on this stage, it's pretty cool," safety Kyle Hamilton said.

"The celebration was dope, too. The 'Siu' — the [Cristiano] Ronaldo celebration. I am just super happy for him. First of many."

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