5 Things We Learned in Third Week of OTAs

As the most accurate kicker in NFL history, Justin Tucker remains one of the Ravens’ most important weapons. However, the league’s new kickoff rules in 2024 add a different dimension to Tucker’s job as the Ravens work on strategies for covering kickoffs.

Tucker has an analytical mind and is experimenting with different kickoffs that might give the Ravens an edge.

“Whether that means putting the ball in different spots, making it challenging for a returner to scoop up the ball easily – all of those things we’re looking at right now,” Tucker said. “Granted, we are kind of in the fledgling stages of what we’re trying to accomplish here, what we’re trying to figure out.”

Tucker thinks he could be involved in more tackling on kickoff and has spent time in the weight room to prepare. He’s gained some strength, although he’s not ready to arm wrestle Derrick Henry.

“This might be really surprising to a lot of you guys and a lot of my teammates, because I don’t [tend] to hang out in the weight room too frequently,” Tucker said. “But, after watching a lot of the XFL plays over the last couple of years, the kicker seems to be involved in like 25% of the tackles. I’ve mixed it up a couple of times – I’ve gotten in there. But now I have to get some more shrugs, get the [shoulder] traps going a little bit just to make sure I’m prepared for a little bit more contact.”