Tyler Loop handles missed kick with class, gives lengthy media availability postgame

Tyler Loop just lived every kicker’s worst nightmare.

The Baltimore Ravens rookie ended his team’s season when he pushed a 44-yard field goal wide right as time expired Sunday night. His team went home, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were sent to the playoffs. Until then, the 24-year-old had not missed a field goal shorter than 50 yards in his entire NFL career.

Loop exited the field predictably devastated alongside Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. But after the game, the rookie kicker gracefully faced the music, spending over seven minutes being peppered with questions from the media.

Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop spoke with the media after the team’s 26-24 loss to the Steelers 🎥 pic.twitter.com/ro91JzcXKV

— Baltimore Banner Sports (@AllBannerSports) January 5, 2026

Let’s be honest. No one would have blamed Loop if he simply decided to avoid his media obligations on Sunday night. Players do it all the time, eating a nominal fine from the league for breaking its media policy. In scenarios like this, it’d almost be expected.

Instead, the young kicker handled the situation with class, answering every question reporters had for him. What went wrong technically that caused the field goal to sail right. How he felt during warmups. What Harbaugh said to him as they left the field together. Whether it was the pressure of the moment that got to him. What he was reading in his locker after the game. Who he’ll lean on going forward. Not exactly softball questions being thrown at a guy who rarely is wanted for extensive media availabilities.

But he answered every single one regardless immediately after the lowest moment of his professional career.

For as much as the media has a tendency to rail on athletes who opt to skip press obligations, it’s important to acknowledge when an athlete does more than his/her share, especially in their lowest moments. Despite the heartbreak of Sunday night, Tyler Loop understood that speaking with the media will only help him tell his story. Even if his answers won’t take the sting out of Sunday’s loss for Ravens fans, Loop’s remarks, and the media’s subsequent use of those remarks, will go a long way towards humanizing him in a way that would be impossible if he had simply not talked at all.