Months after multiple massage therapists accused kicker Justin Tucker of inappropriate conduct, the Baltimore Ravens announced on Monday that they are releasing the veteran player. The team described the move as a difficult football decision made in light of the current roster composition.
Tucker, 35, has been with the Ravens since 2012 and is widely regarded as one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. In January, six women came forward with allegations of misconduct during massage therapy sessions, as reported by The Baltimore Banner. Additional allegations surfaced the following month.
Tucker has denied all claims, calling the accusations “unequivocally false,” and he has not been criminally charged. The NFL’s investigation into the matter is ongoing, according to NBC Sports.
The Ravens recently drafted kicker Tyler Loop in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, signaling a potential shift at the position. Despite the controversy surrounding Tucker, neither Ravens Executive Vice President and General Manager Eric DeCosta nor Head Coach John Harbaugh referenced the allegations in public comments.
“This was a very tough football decision,” DeCosta said in a statement Monday. “Given the makeup of our current roster, we’ve made the hard choice to release Justin Tucker.” He praised Tucker’s career achievements, highlighting his “reliability, focus, drive, resilience, and extraordinary talent.”
Harbaugh previously stated that any decisions regarding Tucker’s future with the team would be made from a football standpoint, NFL.com reported.
Tucker ends his Ravens tenure as the most accurate kicker in NFL history among players with at least 100 attempts, with a career field goal success rate of 89.1%. However, he did face some performance issues during the 2024 season.
Responding to the allegations earlier this year, Tucker criticized the reporting in The Baltimore Banner, saying, “The article takes innocuous or ambiguous interactions and skews them so out of proportion they are no longer recognizable, and it presents vague insinuations as fact. This is desperate tabloid fodder.”
DeCosta concluded the team’s statement by expressing gratitude: “We are thankful for Justin’s many contributions to the Ravens and sincerely wish him and his family all the best in the next chapter of their lives.”
Tucker joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Over his career, he earned seven Pro Bowl selections and was part of the Ravens’ Super Bowl-winning team at the end of the 2012 season.
