Ravens Kicker Justin Tucker On Pace To Dethrone Adam Vinatieri?
Since entering the league in 2012, Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has broken nearly every record possible for his position.
Longest field-goal ever? Yes. Fastest kicker to a 1,000 career points? Accomplished four years ago. Most first-team All-Pro appearances? Five, and counting.
And while he's undeniably the greatest kicker of this generation, can Tucker solidify himself even further in NFL history?
ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently slotted future Hall of Fame kicker Adam Vinatieri as the "Greatest of All Time," but believes Tucker has the best chance to dethrone him.
"His 90.5% field goal percentage is the best mark for any kicker, but he's also kicking in an era in which success rates are higher than ever before," ESPN writes. The six best kickers in league history in terms of field goal rate are all active. The top 70 in league history by that rate have all ended their careers in the 21st century."
With Vinatieri currently holding a 13-year head start on the Ravens kicker, it's hard to project whether or not Tucker's record-breaking percentages will slip over the year. However, at his current rate, Tucker has the chance to go down as the undeniable kicking G.O.A.T.
"Tucker already has converted 365 field goals, leaving him on pace to top Vinatieri's record of 599," ESPN writes. "But projecting anybody to follow Adam Vinatieri's lead and play until he's 47 years old is impossible.
"Give Tucker another dozen years in the league and he likely will build his playoff résumé, but it's going to be tough to compete with Vinatieri's heroics."
With a laundry list of accomplishments this early into his kicking career, Tucker will undeniably contest Vinatieri for the greatest of all time when it's all said and done.
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