There has never been a kicker who started his NFL career quite like Justin Tucker has for the Baltimore Ravens.
Undrafted out of Texas in 2012, the Ravens gave him the chance to beat out incumbent Billy Cundiff for their placekicking job. Handing the gig to an undrafted rookie less than two years after giving Cundiff a five-year, $15-million contract was a risky move, but Ozzie Newsome is hardly shy in that regard.
In his rookie year, Tucker made Newsome look intelligent, hitting 30-of-33 field goal attempts and nailing all 42 of his extra points. As a sophomore, his performance was even more emphatic, as Tucker led the league with 38 field goals on 41 attempts, again hitting every extra point.
This season, Tucker had what ranks as his worst kicking season to date - which sounds like regression until it's noted that he didn't miss a single kick inside 50 yards. Instead, his 29-of-34 mark overall - without a miss on 42 PATs - helped the Ravens to the league's best weighted special teams DVOA, according to Football Outsiders.
Over three seasons, Tucker has been a marvel. Only Stephen Gostkowski (102) has hit more field goals over that time than Tucker's 97. Of those with at least 75 attempts over three years, only Shaun Suisham (91.6 percent), Dan Bailey (90.6 percent) and Gostkowski (90.6 percent) have been more accurate than Tucker at 89.8 percent. Only Gostkowski (438) has more total points than Tucker's 399 in that span.
| 2012-2014 | FGM | FGA | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gostkowski | 102 | 113 | 90.3% |
| Tucker | 97 | 108 | 89.8% |
| Vinateri | 91 | 104 | 87.5% |
| Carpenter | 89 | 101 | 88.1% |
| Hauschka | 88 | 99 | 88.9% |
In other words, Tucker's been the league's second-best kicker and has only fallen short of No. 1 by a slim margin.
He's done so in his first three seasons, propelling him to the best start to a career that any kicker has ever had. Those 97 makes? Eight more than any other kicker through three seasons. The 399 points? Two more than anyone. The 89.8 percent clip? Second only to Bailey.
| First 3 Years | FGM | FGA | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tucker | 97 | 108 | 89.8% |
| Bailey | 89 | 98 | 90.8% |
| Mare | 89 | 109 | 81.7% |
| Elam | 87 | 110 | 79.1% |
| Walsh | 87 | 103 | 84.5% |
It's truly been incredible, and while kicker career arcs are notoriously difficult to suss out, it puts him on quite the track looking forward.
This is all great for the Ravens, who have turned an immense profit on the $1.44 million they've paid Tucker through three years. The issue now - once the playoffs are out of the way - is that Tucker is a restricted free agent and is set to get paid.
Based on comparables, Tucker's in a great negotiating position. Bailey, whose early-career numbers Tucker has rolled past, was signed to a seven-year, $22.5-million contract. Gostkowski is on a five-year, $15.8-million deal. Tucker has an argument that he's one of, if not the best kicker in the game, and he'll surely be seeking an annual salary north of $3 million.
Considering how close the Ravens are to the cap already for 2015, it may take some gymnastics to keep Tucker in the fold.
