When it came time for the NFL to name its all-decade team for the 2010s, it was no surprise that Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker was a unanimous choice. One could argue that of all the players selected for the team, the best of the lot was Tucker.
However, people might quickly clarify that statement: No one would argue that they would rather have Tucker on their team than other unanimous picks, such as Tom Brady.
Was Tucker a better kicker in the 2010s than Brady was a quarterback, or Aaron Donald a defensive lineman? It is certainly not hyperbole to suggest that he is the greatest of all-time at his position.
Photo: EPA-EFE
After all Tucker is the most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL, one of eight NFL records that he owns. Tucker not only makes kicks, but he makes them when they matter.
That might well be why only Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning have earned more Player of the Month awards.
Even Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who has coached two elite kickers in Stephen Gostkowski and Adam Vinatieri, has gone on record to call Tucker the best player at his position.
Yet, there is that caveat: “at his position.” There is an element of damning with faint praise here. No matter how skilled he is at his craft, Tucker will always be “only” a kicker.
Kickers are a vital part of any NFL team, yet there are many who refuse to count them as “real football players.”
Part of the problem lies within the sport itself. Like an elite relief pitcher in baseball, kickers are only brought in when the situation calls for them.
While offensive and defensive players play together as a unit, a kicker comes into a game with all eyes on him.
Football briefly mutates into a radically different — and much less physical — game. That is the other thing, too. While they are vulnerable during kickoffs, kickers mostly have the luxury of avoiding the violence that defines the sport.
The life of a kicker in comparison to, for example, that of a running back is a relatively tranquil one: The pressure they face tends to be more of the internal variety.
Because of this, it’s easier to overlook just how talented kickers such as Tucker are.
NFL games and even seasons can come down to a single kick.
When a kicker misses in a key spot, there is usually nobody else to blame and their previous successes count for nothing.
It does not matter what kind of career the kicker has had up until that point, it only takes a handful of misses for a team to move on to another candidate.
As of right now, there are only two players who are in the Hall of Fame who were exclusively kickers during their careers: Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen.
Tucker is in a position to not just join them, but to solidify his position as the best kicker of all time.
This distinction should force people to mention his name when discussing all-time great players — even if he is “only” a kicker.
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