Pundit Believes Tyler Loop Can Make a Leap, Rashod Bateman Can Bounce Back in 2026
Tyler Loop’s rookie season ended in heartbreaking fashion, but he otherwise had a solid year. So, what should expectations for him be in 2026?
Russell Street Report’s Darin McCann listed Loop among the Ravens players he believes can make a leap next season.
“This could go one of two ways,” McCann wrote. “After air-mailing the most clutch kick attempt of his life and subsequently putting into action one of the most consequential offseasons in Ravens history, we could see a Tyler Loop who has fixed his kickoff problems and learned to conquer whatever snuck into his head before that kick, or we could see the result of being a young player who had the proverbial world fall around him in front of the world and never recovered. I’m betting on him.”
Before Loop’s game-winning 44-yard field goal attempt went wide right in the regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers that decided the AFC North title, he had gone 29-for-29 on kicks under 50 yards. For the season, Loop had an 88.2 field-goal percentage, which was above the league average of 85.6.
Owner Steve Bisciotti expressed confidence in Loop during the season-ending press conference.
“He’s going to be a great kicker. He’s going to learn from this,” Bisciotti said. “I think that kid’s resilient enough from what I’ve learned, and he’ll be our kicker next year.”
Wide receiver Rashod Bateman was another player McCann identified as a bounce-back candidate.
After posting career highs of 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2024, Bateman had just 224 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games last season.
“I wonder if a new staff and passing game can unlock the tasty hints we’ve seen from Bateman in the past,” McCann wrote.