In a cold, calculated move to one of the best players in franchise history, the Baltimore Ravens released Justin Tucker on Monday, a week after the team drafted Tyler Loop in the sixth round in last month’s NFL Draft. Baltimore parts ways with Tucker, 35, who is the most accurate kicker in league history, while he is in the process of a sexual misconduct investigation brought on by the league office.
“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,” Ravens executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement on Monday after news of Tucker’s release.
“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’s release came a couple of months after the sexual misconduct allegations were placed on him, and team officials would wait until the league concluded its investigation to make a decision. Tucker has been accused of misconduct by 16 massage therapists across eight Baltimore-area massage parlors between the years 2012 and 2016.
The Release of Tucker Was a “Football Decision.”
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh discussed the dynamic between Tucker and the newly drafted Loop, who participated in the Ravens’ rookie minicamp over the weekend. He also discussed how the kicking situation would play out based on performance and finances.
“Every decision we make has to be based on football. There are a lot of layers to that. You’ve got a rookie kicker, and here you took him in the sixth round, early in the sixth round. He’s a talented guy.” Harbaugh said on Sunday. “Just from a football standpoint—salary cap, all the different things that you just take into consideration—whatever we decide to do over the next few weeks will be based on football.”
Tucker, a seven-time Pro Bowler, is coming off by far the worst season of his career in 2024. He made only 73.3% of conversion rate field goal attempts (22 of 30), 31st in the NFL. Tucker had three years remaining on a four-year, $22.5 million contract he signed before the 2022 season. Baltimore will save $4.2 million against the cap for this season, and with a post-June 1 designation, its $7.2 million dead cap hit will be spread over two seasons.
Loop, Tucker’s replacement, was selected with the No. 186 pick in last month’s draft as the first kicker drafted in franchise history. The Arizona product made six out of nine field goal attempts from 50-plus yards in his collegiate career. Loop made a career-long kick of 62 yards in 2024 and was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.
Sad Ending for an All-Time Great Kicker
Tucker’s departure marks a disappointing end to the tenure of one of the greatest players in franchise history. Tucker has the best field goal conversion rate (89.1 %) and the record for the longest field goal in NFL history (66 yards). Tucker had eight All-Pro nods, was named to the 2010s NFL All-Decade Team, and was a Super Bowl XLIII champion.
Even as a free agent, Tucker is still subject to discipline by the NFL under the league’s personal conduct policy.
Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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