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Baltimore Ravens fans were recently met with some rather positive player news as it was revealed that kicker Justin Tucker had signed a new 4-year extension to remain in Maryland with the organization.

The deal is allegedly worth $24 million with an annual $6 million being made, with the following breakdown having been provided:

$11,500,000 signing bonus
$17,500,000 guaranteed

The deal will keep Tucker at the franchise that managed to pick him up as an undrafted free agent in 2012 after going through the draft without being selected by an organization. This season will be his 11th NFL campaign.

Why keeping Justin Tucker is good business for the Ravens

Perhaps rather evident to anyone who watches the NFL regularly, the Ravens managed to strike gold when they were able to pick up Tucker as he has proven to be one of the most consistent and accurate placekickers that the league has ever seen in its history.

The 32-year-old holds a number of NFL records to his name, including being the statistically most accurate kicker of all time. He has a field goal success rate of 91.1%, thus providing everyone in Maryland with the confidence that he can successfully make any kick that is required.

Justin Tucker is the NFL's most accurate FG kicker ever (91.061%).

He owns the longest FG ever at 66 yards (to win a game as time expired).

He's made 57 straight FGs in the fourth quarter/overtime.

He's *never* missed a kick in the final minute of regulation.

A machine.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 8, 2022

To put the 91.1% figure into numbers, he has managed to make 326 of 358 attempts, with his longest successful field goal being a distance of 66 yards; an accomplishment he achieved in Week 3 of last season against the Detroit Lions as he sealed the 19-17 win as the clock expired.

Other records that Tucker holds include having the most seasons with 30 made field goals, having done so in seven of the 10 years played thus far, as well as being the first kicker to kick a field goal in the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s in the same game, and the first kicker to kick three 50+ yard field goals in one half.

Indeed, everyone knows his ability with the ball and how powerful and accurate his leg is when it comes to kicking field goals. Teams certainly do not feel safe when they play against the Ravens as they know that no distance really feels safe from being scored.

While some will argue that the 32-year-old Texan is severely underrated by many across the league and by fans, the Ravens will know how important it was to tie down their star kicker, as he is a weapon that many teams in the NFL would love to be able to boast.

Tucker is a game changer

As we have already highlighted, Tucker holds a number of records for the Ravens and in the NFL, thus making him a huge game changer for the franchise and we have already seen it on numerous occasions during the decade that he has been with the franchise.

A certified Hall of Fame inductee in the future once he is eligible, the placekicker is a crucial member of the team that many sports bettors in Maryland also continue to hope can help them out whenever they place a wager on the Ravens when they take to the field.

Indeed, punters in the state are able to use the BetMGM Maryland platform which continues to provide them with a number of betting promos and benefits that can help to further enhance their experiences when they wager on their favorite team and sports.

Naturally, players continue to look at the markets that they have available to them when wagering on the Ravens, and there will be some that will likely be looking to place bets on a man who is yet to receive the contract that he wants in Baltimore…

What is the situation regarding Lamar Jackson?

The biggest concern that the organization and everyone who follows the Maryland outfit closely will perhaps have is in regard to the contract status of star quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The franchise leader is entering the 2022 NFL season in the final year of his rookie contract and is yet to be given the deal he is allegedly holding out for. There have been a number of figures thrown out that he is said to be looking for, however with the start of the regular season fast approaching, there does not appear to be too much movement just yet.

From Friday on @GetUpESPN – Hadn’t sensed much momentum on a Lamar Jackson deal getting done by Week 1. But Ravens have been trying in recent weeks. And a now-public deadline can help.

Guaranteed money among hurdles. https://t.co/Jmu6sIiPib

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 14, 2022

This could be a benefit for both team and the player, though.

The fact that there has been no movement could work perfectly for the Ravens because it could push Jackson to an entirely new football level as he will want to work hard and prove that he is a man deserving of the contract that he wants, thus helping propel the team positively, which then could, in turn, lead to a run at the Super Bowl.

For Jackson, if he does manage to continue to perform to the exceptionally high standards that he has been performing at, then he would have even more ground to stand on when claiming the kind of salary that he wants to commit his future to the Maryland franchise, thus making it hard for the organization to turn around and try and dismiss it.

Naturally, this could also work against both, too, as Jackson could receive interest from other franchises that would like to acquire him in free agency. At the same time, a poor campaign for the quarterback will only weaken his position in negotiations.

Final Thoughts

The confirmation of Justin Tucker’s new deal is brilliant news for the Baltimore Ravens and the fact that it comes before the start of the 2022 NFL season will be a huge positive. The team can now look to try and focus on the Jackson situation while knowing that they have one of their other stars firmly secured for the future.

We can also expect Tucker to continue to produce the incredible numbers that he has throughout his career, and perhaps he will be able to help the team reach the Super Bowl at the end of the season by making the kicks that matter the most.