The Ravens’ Tyler Loop situation has only gotten messier, and the latest move around the league may have handed Baltimore a possible answer.
Loop was already under the microscope after missing a 44-yard field goal to end the Ravens’ 2025 season. Then came a rough preseason stretch that included three missed kicks, and two more misses in the Ravens’ preseason finale only turned up the heat. Head coach Jesse Minter said after that game that the team will continue to look at the kicker position.
That’s the opening Baltimore needed. The Indianapolis Colts released Blake Grupe, and he now looks like a logical name for the Ravens to consider if they want real competition for Loop.
Grupe brings a better recent track record than the preseason version of this problem suggests. Last season with the Colts, after joining them midseason, he went a perfect 11-for-11 on field goals and 10-for-10 on extra points. His career numbers aren’t spotless - he has made 81.9 percent of his kicks overall and was previously cut by the New Orleans Saints last season - but his finish with Indianapolis showed enough to keep him in the conversation.
The range is part of what makes Grupe interesting. He has connected on 19 of 27 field goals from 50 yards or more in his career, while Loop has made just one of four from that distance. For a kicker battle, that kind of contrast matters.
Minter’s comments suggest Baltimore is finally willing to take a harder look at the position, and Grupe should be on that list. There are other free-agent options too, including Matt Prater, who is more established and still productive, though he is 42 years old.
The bottom line is simple: the Ravens need to add competition, and they need to do it now. Grupe may not be the answer on his own, but he looks like one of the best ways to push Loop and see whether Baltimore has a better option waiting.
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Ravens Face A Nervous Wait As Young Talent Hits Waivers
The Ravens have trimmed their roster to 53, and the hard part is only beginning. After releasing more than two dozen players, Baltimore now has to sit through the NFL waiver process while other teams sort through the same cuts, and the next move is already lined up with a 16-man practice squad waiting to be filled.
For a team that has spent the summer sorting out young talent at the margins, the real tension is which of those cut players make it back to Baltimore once waivers clear, and which ones are gone for good. Several names are considered legitimate claim risks, while the Ravens are also lining up possible practice squad additions if the board breaks their way. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Just Turned Tyler Loops Job Into A Real Battle
The Ravens added another layer to a kicking competition that was already worth watching, signing veteran Jake Moody to the practice squad as they continue sorting out the spot. Moody brings NFL experience from San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, and his familiarity with Ravens coaches Jesse Minter and Declan Doyle gives the move a little extra intrigue beyond a simple depth add.
Baltimore also filled out the practice squad with several other players as it looks to strengthen depth across key positions, but the kicking job is the part that now has a real test attached to it. For Tyler Loop, the message is clear: the organization is not content to let the position settle without another look, and every rep from here carries more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens 53-Man Roster Leaves Two Big Week 1 Questions Open
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What stands out is how much of the roster picture still feels unfinished even after the official cutdown. The Ravens also held onto undrafted rookies Joe Fagnano and Ethan Burke, a reminder that the team is still willing to bet on upside while trimming other hopefuls loose. For a roster built to contend right away, the real question now is not just who survived the first wave of decisions, but which of these early moves will matter once Week 1 arrives and the game-day health report starts to shape the lineup. [Read more 🡒]