After seeing punter Sam Koch test positive for COVID-19 a few weeks ago, the Baltimore Ravens aren’t taking any chances with kicker Justin Tucker. They’ve brought in former Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams kicker Sam Sloman for a tryout on Wednesday, according to the NFL’s transaction report.
Sloman was selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Rams. He played seven games for Los Angeles but wasn’t very accurate. He missed three extra points and three field goals over seven games before being cut. Sloman was far better in one game for the Titans, hitting all five of his extra points and both field-goal attempts.
While Baltimore is trying out a kicker, there’s no reason to believe Tucker’s job is in any danger. Though Tucker has been a little off the mark this season, he’s still among the best kickers in the game, hitting on 89.7% of his field-goal attempts this season and nailing all but one of his extra points. Tucker also stands as the most accurate kicker in NFL history (with a minimum of 100 field-goal attempts).
As noted above, this tryout seems to be more about making sure the Ravens have some options available to them if Tucker were to test positive for COVID-19 or get injured. With Baltimore already one game deep into the playoffs, an unexpected absence from Tucker could end their Super Bowl LV dreams prematurely.
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