Embattled kicker Justin Tucker was cut by the Ravens on Monday, general manager Eric DeCosta announced.
The news comes 24 hours after head coach John Harbaugh had adamantly told reporters that any decision on Tucker’s future would be “based on football.”
Tucker had been accused of inappropriate behavior by 16 mᴀssage therapists in the Baltimore area during a span between 2012 and 2016, which had first been reported by the Baltimore Banner in January.
The longtime Ravens kicker has denied the accusations on multiple occasions, saying that they were “simply not true.”
The Ravens insisted Monday’s decision had been a football one.
Going into the upcoming season, there was an expectation that there would be a battle at the kicker position since the Ravens had drafted Tyler Loop out of Arizona this spring.
“Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances. Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker,” DeCosta said in a statement. “Justin created many significant and unforgettable moments in Ravens history. His reliability, focus, drive, resilience and extraordinary talent made him one of the league’s best kickers for over a decade. We are grateful for Justin’s man contributions while playing for the Ravens.
“We sincerely wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter of their lives.”
The 35-year-old is the most accurate kicker in NFL history even after having one of the worst seasons of his career, successfully making a career-low 73.3 percent of his field goal attempts.
Tucker has the highest salary cap hit of any player at his position for the 2025 season, the Banner reported, and cutting him after June 1 would allow the Ravens to break up the cap hit across the upcoming year and 2026 season.
The original report included six mᴀssage therapists who had come forward with allegations of Sєxual misconduct before an additional 10 women made similar allegations, and led the NFL to launch an investigation into the matter.
The league’s probe has been ongoing and Harbaugh had said Sunday that the Ravens “haven’t been given any information, as it should be.”
In February, Tucker addressed the allegations in a lengthy statement to Outkick.
“I maintain I did not act inappropriately at any point before, during, or after a professional bodywork treatment session, nor have I ever been told I am unwelcome at any mᴀssage therapy provider,” he said. “These claims are simply not true. Throughout the last four weeks, I have spent countless hours replaying every interaction I have had with bodywork professionals over the last thirteen years. I can ᴀssure whoever is reading this that I have never intended to disrespect anyone, cross any boundary, or make anyone feel uncomfortable in any way whatsoever. It devastates me to know that anyone I have worked with would not have felt respected and valued as a professional, but more importantly as a person, and to anyone who has felt otherwise, I am sorry.
“I want you to know I am committed to ensuring that everyone I interact with continues to feel that I respect them and care about them as a human being.”
