The Ravens have released veteran kicker Justin Tucker, General Manager Eric DeCosta announced on Monday.
"Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances," DeCosta said in a statement.
"Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker. Justin created many significant and unforgettable moments in Ravens history. His reliability, focus, drive, resilience and extraordinary talent made him one of the league's best kickers for over a decade. We are grateful for Justin's many contributions while playing for the Ravens. We sincerely wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter of their lives."
Tucker has been the Ravens' kicker since 2012, making the roster as an undrafted free agent from Texas. As a rookie, Tucker converted 30 of 33 field goal attempts during the regular season and was a perfect 4-for-4 during the Ravens' postseason run to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII. Tucker clinched the "Mile High Miracle" game against the Denver Broncos in the 2012 divisional round by making a 47-yard field goal in double overtime to seal Baltimore's 38-35 victory over the Denver Broncos.
The most accurate kicker in NFL history (417 of 468, 89.1%) during his 13-year career, Tucker made the Pro Bowl seven times and was a five-time All-Pro.
However, the 35-year-old Tucker missed a career-high eight field goals last season (22 of 30) for the lowest field goal percentage of his career (73.3%).
The Ravens drafted Arizona kicker Tyler Loop in the sixth round of this year's NFL draft, and Loop made his debut this weekend at rookie minicamp.
