Are the top Longhorns in the NFL overpaid, underpaid, or paid just right? - No. 3, Justin Tucker

The Austin-native, who concluded the 118-game rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M with a game winning field goal in 2011, has been one of the top kickers ever since entering the NFL in 2012.

The Austin-native, who concluded the 118-game rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M with a game winning field goal in 2011, has been one of the top kickers ever since entering the NFL in 2012. Tucker has already earned the honors of the Most Accurate Kicker in NFL History with a 90.753% kick success rate throughout his career.

In the 2012 NFL draft, four kickers were selected, however, none of them were named Justin Tucker. Following an impressive training camp, the rookie standout took over the starting position. Since then, Tucker has continued to perform at the highest level, winning a Super Bowl ring in 2012 as the Ravens defeated the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. Additionally, he has earned four First Team All Pro and three Pro Bowls (both in 2019 as well).

After earning a four year $16 million dollar deal in 2016, Tucker has continued to thrive. This is shown as he converted 96.6% of his Field Goal attempts this past season, pushing his team all the way to the Divisional round where they lost 12-28 to the Tennessee Titans. The future is surely bright with fellow MVP and former Louisville Cardinals Heisman winning quarterback Lamar Jackson leading the way.

Thoughts?

Justin Tucker’s outstanding performance as a pro earned him a four-year $23 million extension with Baltimore in 2019, one of the most lucrative deals ever given to a kicker. Tucker is currently the second highest paid kicker in the league, tied with Robbie Gould of the San Francisco 49ers. The kicker position is one of the more underrated jobs, facing the pressure of one kick deciding an outcome. Looking at the success Tucker has had on the field, I actually believe that he is still underpaid. Having a reliable kicker could be the difference between a 12-4 team and a bubble wild card team.