In the cruelest moments of professional sports, words can feel empty. For the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was one of those moments — a season-ending defeat sealed by a missed field goal in the final seconds. As the stadium fell silent and playoff hopes vanished, the weight of the moment settled heavily on rookie kicker Tyler Loop. But in the locker room afterward, Ravens running back Derrick Henry offered something deeper than encouragement: a reminder of faith.

Henry, a five-time Pro Bowl running back and respected leader, sought out Loop after the game and shared words rooted in his Christian belief. Speaking to reporters, Henry said his message to the young kicker was simple but profound. He urged Loop to keep his spirits up, to process the disappointment, and to remember that the sun rises again. Moreover, Henry reframed the painful moment through the lens of God’s purpose.

“I just told him the story after this is going to be great for him,” Henry explained, adding that God had placed Loop in this moment as part of a larger plan. According to Henry, adversity itself can become a testimony — an example of resilience and faith on the other side of hardship. “He wouldn’t put him in a position if he weren’t strong enough to handle it,” Henry said, acknowledging the pain of the moment while pointing toward future growth.

The missed kick was especially difficult given Loop’s otherwise impressive rookie campaign. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the 24-year-old had been reliable all season, converting 30 of 34 field goal attempts and remaining perfect from 40 to 49 yards until the final seconds against the Steelers. The 44-yard miss was his first from that range — and it came at the most unforgiving time.

After the game, Loop spoke openly about how his faith helped him cope with the crushing loss. He shared that before kickoff, he had written down a prayer and reread it, grounding himself spiritually. Faith, he said, is central to his life, and he has been reading through the book of Romans. One passage in particular stood out to him: Romans 8, which reminds believers that God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

For Loop, that verse reframed the disappointment. He said it reminded him that his calling goes beyond football — that he is there to love his teammates, represent the organization well, and steward the gifts God has given him. Even in loss, he expressed gratitude, calling his place with the Ravens the biggest blessing of his life and trusting that God still had his back “even when stuff sucks.”

Ravens safety Alohi Gilman echoed that message of faith and perspective, encouraging Loop not to second-guess himself. Having experienced tough losses of his own, Gilman said preparation is all a player can control — the rest is in God’s hands. Surrounded by teammates and upheld by prayer, Loop was reminded that one painful moment does not define a life or a calling.

In a league often driven by results and headlines, the Ravens’ response revealed something deeper: a shared belief that even heartbreak can be part of God’s greater story.