In the lonely world of NFL kickers, where a single miss can define a season, one rival chose empathy over celebration. Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell offered a moment of pure class following the Baltimore Ravens‘ season-ending loss. He sought out his dejected counterpart, Tyler Loop, to share a message of support born from his own painful experiences. Speaking to the media this week, Boswell reflected on the empathy he felt for the Ravens kicker after his costly miss in Week 18.

“When we fail, it’s in the public eye for everybody to see. I just wanted to run over to him and let him know a kick is a kick. Got to move past it,” Boswell said.

“Anybody can go through it. I just kind of wanted to give him that from someone who’s been there. There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel type thing. He knows this, but it’s up to him, and he just got to move on, and it’s about the next kick.”

However, that message came from real scars. Earlier in the night at Acrisure Stadium, Boswell nearly became the headline after an extra point that went down as blocked. Moreover, had Loop connected, that miss would have burned a lot hotter in Pittsburgh. Considering the torn-up field, a slipping plant foot, and the multiple blocks he has faced this season, Boswell knows how fast things can snowball.

Moreover, in October, while playing against the Cleveland Browns, Chris Boswell slipped on a long field-goal attempt that should have put the game out of reach, forcing the defense to return and close things out instead of ending it with points. That moment put him under fire. Fortunately, the Steelers won 23-9, and Boswell avoided the worst of the fan backlash.

The 34-year-old knows how dark it can get. Back in 2018, Boswell watched his mistakes sink the Steelers as he hit just 13 of 20 field goals. Still, the franchise stayed loyal. As a result, he rebuilt his game and mindset, turning a brutal year into fuel. That same path now sits in front of Loop.

Unfortunately, timing makes Loop’s pain heavier. The miss closed the 2025 season, so there is no quick fix, no next snap. And he has to wait until next season to prove himself again.

This is the lonely truth of being an NFL kicker: The job is mental before it is physical. One swing can shake belief, especially for a young player. Boswell understood that and reached out after Loop’s admission to the costly mistake.

Tyler Loop addressed his missed kick in Week 18

With two seconds left, the Ravens trusted everything to one swing of the leg, sending Tyler Loop out for a 44-yard field goal that could punch a postseason ticket. In that moment, the entire Ravens Flock held its breath as the clock froze and the season balanced on one kick.

Then, the ball drifted right. The Ravens’ season ended, and the Steelers were playoff-bound. As Steelers Nation exploded across the field and sideline, black and gold jerseys bounced in celebration. Meanwhile, Loop stood still, hands on his helmet, shoulders slumped, clearly crushed by how fast it all flipped.

Still, Loop did not hide. After the loss, he faced reporters and owned the moment head-on, saying:

“I mean, I caught a little bit…operation was great. It was a great situation, exactly what we wanted and unfortunately I just miss hit the ball. We call it — hitting it thin. Just spins fast and goes off to the right and yeah, that was it.”

That pain cut deeper because the season before that snap told a different story. The 24-year-old rookie had been steady for much of the season after Baltimore grabbed him in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Up until Week 18, he had been perfect on kicks from 0 to 49 yards. All three of his previous misses came from beyond 50. However, that clean record changed in the final seconds of Sunday’s game.

Now, the Ravens head into an unfamiliar offseason, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021. As Baltimore resets its goals for 2026, motivation will not be an issue for Loop. After Sunday night, no one in Charm City has more reason to get back on the field and rewrite the ending.