Tucker had threatened to not re-sign with the Ravens next year if the Ravens could not strike a deal before the deadline.
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At the end of the day, if Tucker really wants to play for a contender, where he can have continued success, he will compromise with the “Wizard of Oz”, and remain in Baltimore for years to come. A second tag would roughly cost the Ravens $5.4 million.
Tucker and the Ravens have until 4 p.m. ET on Friday to reach a multi-year deal. Tucker will now get $16.8 million over the next four years, and he’s going to get a total of $10.8 million guaranteed. But the Ravens love Tucker and know his importance to the organization.
Tucker will be here for the 2016 season because the Ravens have placed the franchise tag on their Pro Bowl kicker but after that all bets are off. But that’s now a moot point.
Tucker is the second most accurate kicker in NFL History; a title that will inflate his salary.
That’s a bit less in total than Stephen Gostkowski got when he signed for $17.2 million from the Patriots previous year, but it’s $700,000 more in guaranteed money. The deal included $10.1 million in guaranteed money, a record for a place kicker. The highest amount for a non-QB now belongs to defensive end Fletcher Cox, who got $63.3 million guaranteed from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Hopefully though, the team and Tucker will be able to reach a mutually beneficial understanding regarding the latter’s contract. “If we don’t get a long-term deal done by Friday, Justin will not entertain offers from Ravens after the season”. But Tucker is a popular player and one of the more quotable Ravens in the locker room, so it’s naïve to suggest his disenchantment with his contract situation won’t be a story.
Tucker’s agent, Rob Roche, said Thursday that the 26-year-old is frustrated over the thought of having to play under the franchise tag this season.
Tucker’s 130 field goals and 529 points since entering the National Football League in 2012 are second only to the Patriots’ (135 field goals, 618 points) in that span. He has hit 87.8 percent of his career field goals and 100 percent of his extra point attempts.
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He is the fastest kicker in National Football League history to make 100 field-goal attempts and reach the 500-point milestone.
