It seemed like the day would never arrive, but Justin Tucker, the legendary kicker for the Baltimore Ravens, has surrendered his title as the most accurate kicker in NFL history.
Tucker’s uncharacteristic struggles on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he missed two field goals, dropped his career field goal percentage to 89.15% (411 of 461). In doing so, he ceded the top spot to Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro, who now holds an all-time accuracy rate of 89.38% (101 of 113).
Interestingly, Pineiro claimed the title without taking the field, as Carolina was on a bye week, making this a passive yet significant shift in kicker supremacy.
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Despite the setback, the 34-year-old Tucker has plenty of time to reclaim his position atop the leaderboard. However, it won’t be an easy task. Tucker has missed four field goals this season (15-for-19), while Pineiro has been nearly flawless (12-for-13).
https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/1858228584000741628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1858228584000741628%7Ctwgr%5E696b2dd131e2fe324585b4f494ad40a3c47caefc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yardbarker.com%2Fnfl%2Farticles%2Fjustin_tucker_dethroned_as_most_accurate_kicker_in_nfl_history%2Fs1_13132_41252569
While Baltimore’s high-powered offense offers Tucker more opportunities, Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh was a reminder that even the NFL’s best aren’t immune to the occasional misstep. Tucker’s range and reputation remain elite, but his recent performance shows that no kicker is automatic.