Before Friday’s deadline, the two sides agreed on a reported four-year, $16.8 million deal that includes $10.8 million guaranteed. The guaranteed cash now makes him the highest-paid kicker in the league over the Patriots’ Stephen Gostkowski ($10.1 million).
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Tucker previously threatened to leave the team after the 2016 season if a long-term contract wasn’t reached by the 4 p.m. deadline on Friday. Baltimore could have just franchise-tagged him in 2017 anyway, but there was the possibility of Tucker not playing if that happened.
In the end, both sides agreed it was in their interests to work something out.
Tucker, who has been with the team since going undrafted in 2012, is a young (26) kicker at the top of his game. Considering the impact of kickers in today’s NFL, it makes sense why the Ravens wanted to do everything within their power to keep him.
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He made 33 of 40 field-goal attempts last season, and was perfect on 29 extra point attempts.
