OWINGS MILLS, Md. — For the first time in a decade Justin Tucker is learning how to kick. No, not the actual process of booting the football through the uprights. He’s learning to do so with a new man in charge of where and how the pigskin is placed.
"We’re bringing in Jordan Stout - new holder and punter," said Tucker. "I like to think of it in that order."
That’s because Stout is the man whose hands could determine how Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, will perform. The duo is starting to develop some holder-kicker chemistry in organized team activities, which are part of the earliest portion of Ravens offseason practices.
"We’re starting from scratch, if you will, with our field goal kicking unit and that’s exciting to me. That’s a new challenge," said Tucker. "We’re grinding down on details that no one would really even care to know about, like the lean of the ball has to be really, really specific."
There is plenty to work on with Stout, the fourth-round draft pick out of Penn State. So far, Tucker has noticed what made him the first punter off the board in the 2022 draft.
"He’s really coachable. He’s really talented. He can smash the ball. He’s a good athlete. He has good hands."
For Tucker’s first ten years in the NFL he had longtime Ravens punter Sam Koch setting him up. Koch retired last month. Now his good friend is a special teams consultant.
How is Coach Koch?
"Coach Koch is finding his way into his coaching role seamlessly. He is excellent," said Tucker.
What makes Stout unique is, along with punting, he also kicks. That has raised the idea of letting Stout kickoff while saving Tucker’s leg exclusively for field goals. Justin is not having any of that talk.
I asked Justin Tucker about the possibility of having Jordan Stout handle kickoffs while Tucker saves his leg for field goals.
— Shawn Stepner (@StepnerWMAR) June 9, 2022
Safe to say he is not a fan of that idea.
"I'm not planning on giving up those duties any time soon... if ever." 🤣😂🏈🦶 #Ravens pic.twitter.com/KQ62Rzlrfk
"I love it too much. Hey listen, let the best man win. That’s how we view everything out here. We are not scared of competition. We embrace it because ultimately it makes us, as a team, all better. That all being said, I love kicking off and I’m not planning on giving up those duties any time soon, if ever."
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