The Baltimore Ravens released longtime kicker Justin Tucker on Monday afternoon.
Tucker, whom the Ravens signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012, has been accused of inappropriate behavior by 16 massage therapists from eight different Baltimore spas and wellness centers. The NFL has been investigating the matter, but Tucker has denied all of the allegations, calling them “unequivocally false.”
Last week, the Ravens drafted Arizona kicker Tyler Loop with the No. 186 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. The writing was on the wall for Tucker then.
However, just a few days before releasing Tucker, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told the media that Baltimore’s kicking competition would be “based on football.” Well, we have the winner of the competition — and rookie minicamp hasn’t even started yet. It’s Loop’s job now, and the legendary NFL kicker with over a dozen accusations is a free agent.
The Ravens are calling the release of their 35-year-old kicker a “football decision.” But let’s not kid ourselves here.
“Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances,” Ravens Executive Vice President and General Manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker.”
The Ravens played this situation perfectly. Tucker’s typical pinpoint accuracy as a placekicker did waver last season. At the NFL Combine, DeCosta claimed that the Ravens have a “zero tolerance policy” for the type of misconduct Tucker was accused of.
But how do you say goodbye to an eight-time All-Pro who still holds the record for the longest field goal in NFL history? Especially without any criminal charges? You draft his replacement in the sixth round and blame a football decision. It masterfully dodges any fallout from the NFL Players Association, who could have been upset by a player being released in the middle of an investigation.
Drafted kickers are far from a guarantee. In recent years, we’ve seen plenty flame out before their careers can even get started.
But there’s no kicker in the NFL who warrants the public relations nightmare that surrounded Tucker. The Ravens just told you in plain English that they would rather roll the dice during their Super Bowl contention window with an unproven kicker than employ Tucker, who was on trajectory to become a Pro Football Hall of Famer before these allegations.
The Ravens have stood by their fair share of players with shady rap sheets. But a kicker? The juice just isn’t worth the squeeze when you factor in the amount of negative, national media coverage they would get for allowing him to participate in training camp later this summer.
Maybe Tucker finds a way to clear his name. Perhaps it earns him that spot in Canton, Ohio’s Hall of Fame someday. But the Ravens didn’t find it worth their while to wait it out.
