Justin Tucker Released! Surprised but not really

The Baltimore Ravens made waves today by releasing Justin Tucker—arguably one of the greatest kickers in NFL history. And unlike most kicker cuts, this one came with a formal team 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.”

A press release for a kicker? That alone tells you something bigger is going on.

Tucker is coming off the worst season of his career, connecting on just 73% of his field goals. That’s a sharp drop for a guy with a career average just under 90%. But performance might not be the only reason Baltimore moved on.

Tucker has recently been accused by six different massage therapists of inappropriate sexual behavior. The reported allegations include exposing himself, rubbing his junk on therapists, and leaving bodily fluids on massage tables. Okay, we’re all adults here—what are we calling it? Semen? Ejaculate? Fun juice? Either way, two spas banned him. Not exactly a misunderstanding. Tucker and his attorneys deny everything.

On one hand, of course he denies it. Most accused athletes do. Kobe Bryant denied his allegations before issuing an apology. On the other hand, Tucker hasn’t been charged. The legal burden of proof hasn’t been met—yet.

But here's the thing I learned during my time as a Military Policeman: Sexual misconduct cases are hard to prove. Without video or clear forensic evidence, it often becomes a matter of “he said, she said”—or in Tucker’s case, “he said, they all said.”

It’s a complicated situation. But it’s hard not to notice the irony here.

This is the same franchise with a statue of Ray Lewis—a man once accused of murder—outside their stadium. The same franchise that only cut Ray Rice after the video came out—despite already knowing he knocked out his fiancée in an elevator.

So if the Ravens are suddenly taking a moral stand, let’s be honest about the timing: It’s a lot easier to do that when a player is underperforming.

If Justin Tucker had just nailed 95% of his field goals and kicked a game-winner in the playoffs, is he still getting cut? I doubt it.

It’s the same story we’ve seen across the league. If you’re playing well, you’re “misunderstood.” If you’re struggling, you’re a PR liability.

To be fair to the Ravens, we don’t know for sure that this was about the allegations. It may have been purely performance-based. Or it could be a mix of both.

They did just draft a kicker this year, for what it’s worth.