The Baltimore Ravens could be facing an unexpected change at kicker ahead of their Week 9 Thursday Night Football matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Head coach Jesse Minter revealed that Tyler Loop is dealing with "something" and could be placed on injured reserve.
With Loop's availability in doubt, Baltimore is preparing to turn to practice squad kicker Jake Moody. However, given Loop's recent struggles, some fans aren't convinced an injury is the real reason behind his potential absence and suspect the Ravens could be quietly benching him.
The move comes after Baltimore's difficult Week 8 outing against the Buffalo Bills, who handed the Ravens a 36-10 beatdown. Loop had a rough night from the start. He kicked the opening kickoff out of bounds, giving Buffalo favorable field position, before missing a 34-yard field goal later in the game.
Loop has converted 13 of 17 field goal attempts this season, giving him a 76.5% success rate. He currently ranks 15th among kickers with a PFN Kicker Impact Score of 76.5.
Given those numbers, the injury announcement quickly raised suspicions among fans.
NFL analyst Lindsey Ok sarcastically wrote , "'Undisclosed injury.' Sure, sure. We all believe this."
One fan suggested Baltimore was using the injury as a way to bench Loop without making it official, writing, "Soft benching."
Another questioned whether the injury designation was simply a convenient way for the Ravens to move on from Loop: "Is this a polite way of benching him, you think?"
Others were even more blunt. "Incompetence is now an injury designation?" one commenter asked .
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Another fan criticized Minter's handling of the situation, writing, "Jesse is soft. He's coddling these players. Any other team and this dude would've been cut after the game."
The skepticism continued, with one user arguing that the injury explanation did not make sense for a kicker. "He a kicker. Dude is not dealing with anything. This is a soft benching," the fan wrote.
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One fan summed up the skepticism with a simple response in all caps: "I'm not buying it."
While the Ravens have yet to make a final decision on Loop's roster status, Moody now has a chance to prove himself in a high-profile matchup.
If Loop is placed on injured reserve, he would have to miss at least four games, giving Moody an extended run as Baltimore's kicker. Moody last played in the NFL for the Washington Commanders during the 2025 season. He made 10 of 11 field goal attempts, including a successful 56-yard kick.
If Moody performs well against Jacksonville and continues to deliver reliable results, the Ravens could face a difficult decision when Loop becomes eligible to return.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
