K Justin Tucker Issued 10-Game Suspension

Justin Tucker has already seen his Ravens tenure come to an end, and he will be unavailable to his next team for much of the season in 2025 if he is to line up a deal. The All-Pro kicker was issued a 10-game suspension on Thursday.

Mark Make of the Washington Post notes today’s news is not the result of an arbitrator’s ruling. This case never proceeded to a hearing in front of Sue Robinson (which did happen with Deshaun Watson, for instance). Instead, the length of this ban was agreed upon between the parties involved.

The suspension will take effect on August 26, since that represents the roster cutdown deadline around the league. Tucker will first be eligible for reinstatement on November 11. A free agent at the moment, he is still allowed to sign with an interested team at any point (although today’s news certainly hinders the chances of that taking place).

In February, allegations of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions went public against Tucker. The 35-year-old has denied the claims on more than one occasion, but a league investigation was launched into the matter. Today’s findings conclude a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy took place, leading to the suspension.

Prior to the draft – with the NFL probe ongoing – the Ravens faced the possibility of moving on from Tucker. The team intended to wait until the investigation concluded to make a decision on that front, but once Tyler Loop was selected in the sixth round it appeared to be a guarantee a Tucker release would indeed take place. Early last month, Baltimore moved forward with a post-June 1 cut.

At the time of Tucker’s release, the Ravens insisted the move was strictly football related. The seven-time Pro Bowler posted an field goal rate no lower than 82.5% during his first 12 years in the league (all spent with Baltimore). Tucker experienced a notable downturn in accuracy midway through this past season, though, and his overall success rate on field goals dropped to 73.3%. Cutting ties with three years remaining on his contract was a move no doubt partially informed by the dip in performance, but Baltimore’s decision also implied news such as this could be coming.

Now that Tucker is set to miss much of the coming campaign, his chances of landing a new opportunity in the NFL have taken a hit. A free agent pact prior to the NFL’s investigation concluding was always unlikely, and today’s ban -which will not be appealed – could very well lead to a full season spent on the sidelines.

“We are disappointed with the NFL’s decision,” a statement from Tucker’s agent reads in part (via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network). “Justin has always strived to carry himself in a way that would make his family and community proud. He stands by his previous statements. In order to put this difficult episode behind him and get back on the field as soon as possible, we have advised Justin to accept this resolution and close this matter.”

A Super Bowl champion in 2012, Tucker owns a number of all-time records and has amassed over $51MM in career earnings. That figure could continue to climb at some point, but especially in the wake of today’s suspension his NFL future is unclear.