The Justin Tucker era in Baltimore is over. On Monday, Ravens executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta released a statement relaying the news the team has decided to release the veteran kicker after 13 seasons with the franchise.
This decision by the organization comes as Tucker is currently under investigation by the NFL after he was accused of inappropriate behavior by 16 massage therapists from eight different Baltimore spas and wellness centers. The incidents reportedly took place from 2012 to 2016. Tucker has publicly denied these allegations.
In his statement regarding Tucker’s release, DeCosta made it a point to refer to this move as a “football” decision, instead of it stemming from that investigation. That seems to echo head coach John Harbaugh, who told reporters on Sunday that “every decision we make has to be made on football” when specifically asked about Tucker’s status with the organization.
“Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances,” DeCosta’s statement reads. “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.”
Tucker, 35, joined the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012 out of Texas. In that time, he developed into one of the league’s top kickers, being named to eight All-Pro teams and seven Pro Bowls. Tucker holds the record for the longest field goal (66 yards) in NFL history and has the highest career field goal percentage in league history (min. 100 attempts). Tucker also helped the organization win Super Bowl XLVII.
While Tucker’s on-field production throughout his tenure has put him in legendary status with the franchise, he endured a down year in 2024. During the regular season, he completed a career-low 73.3% of his field goal attempts. That contributed to the Ravens selecting Arizona kicker Tyler Loop in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, which marked the first time in history the franchise drafted a kicker. In retrospect, that pick was one of the key indicators that Tucker was not going to be long for the organization, and Loop is now in the driver’s seat to kick for Baltimore in 2025.
As for what’s next for Tucker, it will be interesting to see if a kicker-needy team would bring him aboard amid the league office’s investigation into his off-field allegations.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
