Ravens’ Justin Tucker Says He’s Added Weight After NFL’s Kickoff Rule Change

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is aware that he may see more action due to the NFL’s kickoff rule changes and is planning accordingly.

Tucker told reporters on Thursday that he added roughly “3.8 pounds” in the offseason, although he joked that people “probably” wouldn’t be able to tell (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). He added that the rule changes were the reason behind the weight gain.

“This might be really surprising to a lot of you guys and a lot of my teammates because I don’t hang out in the weight room too frequently,” Tucker said, per Hensley. “Now I got to get some more shrugs, get the traps going a little bit just to make sure I’m prepared for a little bit more contact.”

The NFL implemented new kickoff rules that will begin during the 2024 season, which were modeled after old XFL kickoff rules.

While the kicker will line up normally under the new guidelines, the remaining 10 players on the kicking team will line up on the receiving team’s 40-yard line. As for the receiving team, they’ll have nine players lined up between their 35-yard line and their 30-yard line. Seven of those nine players must have one foot on the 35.

Up to two players on the receiving team can line up anywhere in the 20-yard landing zone. However, players are not allowed to make contact until the kickoff has hit the ground or been touched by a member of the receiving team.

On Thursday, Tucker said that he noticed XFL kickers were involved in 25 percent of the tackles under the altered rules. While the 34-year-old may not be actively seeking out contact, he wants to stay prepared in case he needs to make a special teams tackle.

“I don’t think [tackling is] necessarily something that is encouraged [for kickers], but it’s not discouraged either,” he said (via Hensley). “It kind of just comes with a territory. It’s a football play. We’re all football players out there, and ultimately if a returner is bee lining toward the end zone and I’m the last guy there to stop him, it is part of my job description.”

Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, connecting on 90.2 percent of his field goal attempts throughout his 12-year career. He’s earned seven Pro Bowl nods and won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012.

Now, the decorated veteran is looking to adapt to the new kickoff rules by getting ready to take some contact.