The Baltimore Ravens will be parting ways with veteran kicker Justin Tucker the club announced on Monday. The club maintains that Tucker’s release is strictly a “football move”, however, the timing comes a few months after the 35 year old was accused of inappropriate sexual misconduct by several masseuses.
“Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances,” GM Eric DeCosta said in a statement.
“Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker. 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 many contributions while playing for the Ravens. We sincerely wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter of their lives.”
The most accurate kicker in NFL history (417 of 468, 89.1%) during his 13-year career, Tucker was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and was a five-time All-Pro. The former Texas Longhorn has spent his entire NFL career with the Ravens, signing on with the team as a undrafted free agent in 2012.
Amongst his notable on field accomplishments include holding the NFL record for longest made field goal at 66 yards.
While Tucker has maintained his innocence in the face of his ongoing legal battle with his accusers, the ongoing scrutiny as the cases play out in court are a distraction which may give other NFL franchises pause before offering Tucker a contract this offseason. Couple this with the fact that last season was his worst as a pro, missing a career-high eight field goal attempts could lead to a prolonged stay on the free agent market for the native of Houston, Texas.
Baltimore would go on to select Arizona kicker Tyler Loop in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, marking the first time in history the franchise drafted a kicker. The pick was the first hint that Tucker wouldn’t be back with the organization.
Photo: MD Comptroller. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.