Ravens’ Justin Tucker Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By Several Massage Therapists; Kicker Denies Allegations
SATURDAY, 10:45am: Tucker is facing allegations from three new massage therapists, per Justin Fenton of Baltimore Banner. These allegations come from three women who worked at the same Baltimore men’s spa. One woman produced an internal report regarding her interactions with the player from 2015.
In response to the latest allegations, Tucker’s lawyers told Baltimore Banner to refer to Tucker’s statement that referred to accusations as “unequivocally false.”
THURSDAY, 2:00pm: Six massage therapists have accused Ravens kicker Justin Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior during treatments that occurred between 2012-16, the Baltimore Banner’s Julie Scharper, Brenna Smith and Justin Fenton report.
The alleged inappropriate conduct took place at four high-end Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. Tucker is accused of “exposing his genitals,” touching two of the therapists with his erect penis and leaving “what they believed to be ejaculate” on massages tables after three of the sessions. Two spas banned the decorated Baltimore kicker, according to the Banner, while several of the therapists either ended sessions early or refused to work with him again.
Attorneys representing Tucker deny any wrongdoing, including any bans taking place. In a statement posted to X, Tucker said the massage therapists’ allegations are “unequivocally false.” Tucker said he has never been accused of any inappropriate behavior by a massage therapist and accuses the Baltimore Banner of “misconstruing events as nefarious and relying on third party speculation.”
The women who are accusing Tucker of misconduct during sessions are unnamed. Tucker’s lawyers, per the Banner, mentioned more than a dozen therapists who had worked with Tucker. Four of them responded to questions, after the kicker’s representation insisted inquiries go through the Ravens, with positive accounts of interactions with Tucker.
The Banner, however, details the alleged instances of sexual misconduct. And it will cause issues for the future Hall of Fame specialist. An NFL statement (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport) indicates the league had not been apprised of these allegations until recently. A league investigation is on tap. Tucker has not been charged with a crime, and the Thursday report does not mention any civil suits having been filed. Tucker could still be subject to an NFL suspension under the personal conduct policy.
Tucker, 35, has been the Ravens’ kicker since 2012. In that time, he has built one of the greatest resumes in the history of the position. The eight-time All-Pro is regarded by many to be the best kicker in NFL history. Tucker is coming off a down season, having missed a career-most eight field goal attempts. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said after the team’s divisional-round loss the franchise expects Tucker to bounce back and remain one of the game’s best. He is under contract through the 2027 season.
Patriots Hire Ashton Grant As QBs Coach, Make More Coaching Moves
Mike Vrabel‘s staff in New England continues to take shape. Most notably, the Patriots have landed on a new QBs coach to work alongside Josh McDaniels and Drake Maye. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports that the Patriots have hired Ashton Grant for the gig.
Grant has spent the majority of his coaching career in Cleveland, where he worked his way up from an offensive quality control coach to QBs coach. While Deshaun Watson‘s performance left plenty to be desired, Grant also earned praise for his handling of the rest of the depth chart (including Jameis Winston).
In New England, he’ll be taking over a QBs room that features a pair of young arms in Maye and Joe Milton. Grant is set to replace T.C. McCartney, who isn’t expected to return to the Patriots in a new role, per Mark Daniels of MassLive.com.
The Patriots weren’t finished making additions to their coaching staff. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Jason Houghtaling is expected to join New England’s staff. Houghtaling was an OL coaching assistant on Vrabel’s staff in Tennessee before spending last season with the Bears. Elsewhere on offense, the team is bringing in Riley Larkin as an offensive assistant, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Larkin most recently served as an offensive assistant in Ohio State’s quarterbacks room.
On the other side of the ball, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reports that former Titans defensive assistant Clint McMillan will also be following his former boss to New England. Further, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports that the Patriots are expected to hire Bills nickels coach/senior defensive assistant Scott Booker. Following the theme, Booker previously worked Vrabel during the duo’s time with the Titans. Finally, while a deal hasn’t been finalized, the Patriots are targeting Colts assistant defensive backs coach Justin Hamilton for a role on their defensive staff, per Zenitz. Unsurprisingly, Hamilton was on the Titans staff in 2023.
As Vrabel crafts his first New England staff, he’ll also be saying goodbye to a handful of incumbent coaches. Most notably, Brian Belichick won’t be back with the Patriots in 2025, according to Reiss. The son of Bill Belichick, Brian spent the past five seasons coaching safeties in New England, including this past year working under a new boss in Jerod Mayo. Drew Wilkins, who most recently served as the Patriots outside linebackers coach, also isn’t expected to be retained (per Jones), and cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino won’t be back with the organization (per Reiss).
There is at least one coach who will be retained from last year’s staff. Former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo is expected to stick on Vrabel’s staff, per Reiss. McAdoo spent this past season as a senior offensive assistant, but Reiss notes that the coach’s title could change in 2025. Speaking of titles, the Patriots have also officially hired Vrabel’s right-hand man, John “Stretch” Streicher, who will serve as the team’s vice president of football operations and strategy (per Albert Breer of TheMMQB).
Texans Expected To Interview Adam Stenavich For OC Job
After missing out on head coaching and coordinator gigs this offseason, Adam Stenavich is once again participating in an active interview cycle. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Packers offensive coordinator is expected to interview for the same job with the Texans.
The 41-year-old has been a relatively popular name this offseason. Stenavich interviewed for the Bears head coaching job before it went to Ben Johnson, and he was a candidate for the Seahawks OC job before Klint Kubiak was hired.
Stenavich has spent most of his NFL coaching career in Green Bay. He spent two years as the offensive line coach before earning the added responsibility of run game coordinator in 2021. When Nathaniel Hackett left for Denver, Stenavich earned the promotion to offensive coordinator, a job he’s held for the past three seasons.
While the OC doesn’t call offensive plays in Green Bay, he does work closely with Matt LaFleur to devise game plans and strategy. The Packers finished this past season ranked fifth in total offense and eighth in points per game.
With Bobby Slowik out in Houston, the Texans have cast a wide net trying to find a replacement. The team’s current list of OC candidates includes:
- Nick Caley, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/30
- Brian Johnson, pass game coordinator (Commanders): Interview requested
- Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coacth (Texans): Interviewed 1/27
- Chip Kelly, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Ohio State): Team has interest
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Saints): Mentioned as candidate; hired by Seahawks
- Bill Lazor, senior offensive assistant (Texans): Interviewed 1/30
- Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/28
- Ben McDaniels, wide receivers coach/pass-game coordinator (Texans): Mentioned as candidate
- Jeff Nixon, offensive coordinator (Syracuse): Interviewed 1/27
- Grant Udinski, assistant quarterbacks coach (Vikings): Interviewed 1/30
Cowboys To Hire Klayton Adams As OC
Klayton Adams is indeed set to receive his first coordinator opportunity. The Cardinals’ offensive line coach is being hired by the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. 
Adams was listed as a strong candidate for the position when he first interviewed with Dallas earlier this week. A second, in-person meeting took place today, another sign that a hire was imminent. Immediately after it was reported the Cowboys were aiming to bring Adams into the fold, a deal has in fact been reached.
Dallas had Brian Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator for each of the past two years, but in the wake of Mike McCarthy‘s departure he was promoted to head coach. Schottenheimer’s first HC opportunity will see him handle play-calling duties, but the Cowboys’ OC position will still be important with neither McCarthy nor former coordinator Kellen Moore at the helm.
Adams, 41, began his college coaching tenure in 2005. He spent considerable time as an O-line coach, but in 2018 he did serve as a co-offensive coordinator at Colorado. Immediately after that, Adams received his first NFL opportunity with the Colts. A four-year stretch in Indianapolis saw him work at first as an assistant offensive line coach before he handled tight ends coach responsibilities.
For the past two years, Adams has worked in his current role with Arizona. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has been complimentary of his work during that time, although Adams was not linked to any other coordinator openings for this year’s cycle. Now, he will head to Dallas in a bid to oversee a rebound on offense compared to last season.
Dallas ranked 17th in yards and 21st in points scored in 2024, a year in which a number of key injuries contributed to those figures. Having a healthy Dak Prescott will help the passing game in particular moving forward, but plenty of room for improvement exists on the ground. The Cowboys’ committee approach at running back did not go according to plan (even with Rico Dowdle enjoying a career year and surpassing 1,000 rushing yards). Finding better balance and efficiency will be a key goal for Adams upon arrival.
Schottenheimer has already brought in Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator while tapping Nick Sorensen to lead Dallas’ special teams. Adams is now in place for the OC role, and as such each of the top roles on the Cowboys’ staff have now been filled. Schottenheimer’s attention will now turn to position coaches as Adams prepares to handle coordinator duties at the pro level.
Saints, Kellen Moore To Meet Again After Super Bowl
Signs continue to point to Kellen Moore becoming the Saints’ next head coach. The parties have already interviewed twice, but another meeting is being arranged. 
Since the Eagles are set to play in the upcoming Super Bowl, their offensive coordinator cannot agree to the New Orleans gig at this time. After the big game, though, he and the Saints plan to meet once again, per Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Other candidates have been informed of this by general manager Mickey Loomis, per the report as well as Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
No final decision has been made, of course, but this latest update comes as no surprise. Moore was recently joined by former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy as a top candidate, but the latter has since withdrawn from consideration. That leaves Moore firmly in the lead for the lone remaining HC opportunity in the NFL. Darren Rizzi, who finished the 2024 campaign as the Saints’ interim head coach, looms as an alternative at this stage of the search process.
Throughout the early stages of the 2025 hiring cycle, it became clear many of the top candidates on the market were not enthused about taking charge of the Saints. Aaron Glenn represented an exception in that regard, although he wound up being hired by the Jets before his second New Orleans interview took place. Follow-up meetings have been held with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka as well as Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, but they will need to wait more than one week to find out if Moore is officially hired.
Presuming that will take place when possible, the 35-year-old will begin his first NFL head coaching position in 2025. Shortly after his playing career ended, Moore worked with the Cowboys for five years (including four as OC). That was followed by a single campaign as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator and, for 2024, the same role with the Eagles. Philadelphia’s ground game has played a major role in the team’s success this year, and it could make him the latest staffer to parlay an Eagles OC gig into a first-time head coaching position.
The Saints’ roster is understandably not seen as one with a high ceiling as things stand, and the quarterback position is unsettled in the case of Derek Carr (especially beyond next year). New Orleans’ next head coach will have a say in shaping the team’ direction under center, and it continues to look as though that task will fall to Moore in the near future.
Jets Hire Tanner Engstrand As OC
As expected, the Jets’ next offensive coordinator will be Tanner Engstrand, New York’s hire on this front is being finalized, as first reported by KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The team has since announced the move is official.
Early today, it was learned Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley turned down the Jets’ interest in adding him as their OC. With the team’s top candidate off the market, Engstrand become the candidate to watch. Prior to the news of this hire, ESPN’s Rich Cimini confirmed Engstrand was departing the Lions’ staff after working there since 2020.
The 42-year-old overlapped with new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn in Detroit. Engstrand represented one of the Lions’ top internal candidates to replace Ben Johnson, given his role as pass-game coordinator from 2022-24. Detroit made an external OC hire, however, opening the door for Engstrand to head elsewhere for his first offensive coordinator gig at the NFL level.
The Jets brought in Nathaniel Hackett as a familiar face to Aaron Rodgers in 2023. Things did not go according to plan that year, though, and then-head coach Robert Saleh attempted to bring in another voice on the offensive staff during the offseason. No such hire was made, and Saleh’s midseason firing coincided with Hackett being replaced as play-caller by Todd Downing. The latter had Rodgers available for the full season (unlike Hackett in 2023), but on the whole New York’s production did not match expectations.
The team’s poor showing resulted in a Glenn replacing Jeff Ulbrich as head coach, and Darren Mougey being tapped as Joe Douglas‘ general manager successor. Glenn has been busy filling out his staff since, including the expected move of hiring Steve Wilks as defensive coordinator. While the Jets will have an experienced staffer leading the way on defense as a result, Engtrand is by contrast a much less proven choice for OC.
The latter has, on the other hand, played a key role for a Lions passing attack which has seen major success over the past three years. Detroit has ranked no worse than eighth in production through the air each season during that span, and Engtrand will be counted on to improve the Jets’ efficiency in that department moving forward. It remains to be seen if Rodgers will still be New York’s QB1 in 2025, but regardless of what happens on that front the Jets will hope to find stability with this hire.
In addition to three other outside candidates, the Jets were also linked on the OC front to Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell. He could be in line for a larger role on Detroit’s staff in the near future given the losses that unit has suffered recently, but if he too were to depart the Jets would represent a logical landing spot with Engstrand in place. In the meantime, Glenn’s efforts to build up his staff will now move to the matter of positional coaches.
Darren Rizzi Expected To Become ST Coordinator In Denver
After seeing Antonio Pierce be awarded the full-time head coaching position in Las Vegas after a stint as the interim in 2023 — the first time an interim coach has been given the opportunity since 2017 — it doesn’t appear we’ll see this again in 2024. The Jets and Bears have both moved on from interim coaches Jeff Ulbrich and Thomas Brown, respectively, and though the Saints job is still up for grabs, it’s becoming unlikely that interim coach Darren Rizzi will win the position. 
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, with the Saints zeroing in on Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their new head coach, Rizzi is expected to become the new special teams coordinator for the Broncos.
While this marks a failure to return to New Orleans as head coach, it will be a reunion of sorts with Rizzi and Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Rizzi first joined the Saints as special teams coordinator in 2019 under Payton, working under him for three seasons. When Payton retired and Dennis Allen took over, Rizzi stuck around with the additional title of assistant head coach before eventually taking over as interim head coach.
This move would also mark a reunion with kicker Wil Lutz. The 30-year-old special teamer arrived in New Orleans three years ahead of Rizzi in 2016, but it wasn’t until Rizzi showed up in 2019 that Lutz earned his first and only Pro Bowl appearance. Lutz played three seasons under Rizzi, missing the 2021 NFL season on injured reserve, before following Payton to Denver.
If Rizzi does indeed end up with the Broncos, it will be his third coordinator position with his third NFL franchise, his first coordinator position coming in 10 years with the Dolphins. His name has been rumored in Denver ever since the team fired former special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, opening the door for a familiar face.
As Moore continues to be the point of focus in New Orleans, it seems likely that Rizzi will find his way back to Payton’s staff. Nothing is official quite yet, though, as the Broncos are still required to conduct a full and complete coordinator search.
Buccaneers Promote Josh Grizzard To OC
The Buccaneers are set to go internal for their Liam Coen replacement. Josh Grizzard is being promoted to the role of offensive coordinator, Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
This news does not come as much of a surprise. Grizzard, Tampa Bay’s pass-game coordinator, was recently mentioned as one of the top candidates for the OC gig in the event the team elected to promote from within to replace Coen. He interviewed on Wednesday, and in short order that meeting has now produced an agreement.
Grizzard’s coaching career dates back to Yale, when he worked as an assistant at his alma mater. The 34-year-old also spent time at Duke before beginning his tenure at the pro level. He first joined the Dolphins’ staff in 2019, remaining there until 2023 and occupying several roles along the way. Grizzard joined Todd Bowles last offseason, a move which has now produced his first career coordinator opportunity at any level.
Coen had a strong first season with the Bucs, overseeing a unit which ranked top-four in both passing and rushing yards. That made him a strong head coaching target for the Jaguars in particular, although he appeared to be on track to remain in Tampa Bay for the 2025 season. A new OC deal had been agreed to, on the condition Coen stopped looking into his HC options. He ultimately took part in a secret second interview with the Jags, though, and – after the firing of general manager Trent Baalke – accepted Jacksonville’s offer to lead the team.
That left the Buccaneers in the coordinator market for the second offseason in a row. Dave Canales‘ success during his first (and only) campaign in Tampa Bay earned him the Panthers’ head coaching gig, something which added to the value of Coen being on track to remain in place for more than one year. Instead, the team will now rely on Grizzard to replicate the offense’s balanced production from 2024.
Much of Tampa Bay’s key offensive players are on the books for next season, so expectations will remain high for another NFC South title moving forward. Grizzard’s stock will continue to rise if the Bucs can have success on offense in 2025, although the team will of course wish to avoid needing to replace its OC for three straight years. In any case, it will be interesting to see how Grizzard fares while leading an offense he is already familiar with.
Bowles faced questions about how willing outside OC candidates (of which there were five in this case) would be to take on the position in the wake of the Coen departure. Bowles’ own job security has been a talking point in recent years, but he will remain in the fold for at least 2025. He will hope to enjoy as much success next year with Grizzard as he did with his previous coordinator pick.
Jaguars Meet With Grant Udinski; Team Requests OL Interview With Austin Gund
Three more of the league’s offensive coordinator vacancies were filled on Friday. The Jaguars are among the teams who have yet to fill their OC position, though, and their search process is ongoing. So far, their search has been less than exhaustive, with the team only interviewing two candidates, Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard and Rams pass game specialist Nate Scheelhaase, to replace Press Taylor.
A third interview took place today, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, as the Jaguars hosted Vikings assistant offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski. At only 29 years old, Udinski has been on a meteoric rise through the coaching ranks.
After going undrafted in 2019 as a defensive end out of Towson, Udinski traveled to Waco, TX, where he served for a year as a graduate assistant under then-Baylor head coach Matt Rhule. The next year, Udinski followed Rhule to Carolina as a coaching assistant for the Panthers, where he remained for two years.
Under the advice of Vikings passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Brian Angelichio, who had worked with Udinski for two years in Carolina, Minnesota hired Udinski on as assistant to the head coach/special projects in 2022. After a year in that role, Udinski was promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach, and this season, he added assistant offensive coordinator to his title, as well.
It’s not uncommon to see young coaches quickly rise through the ranks on offensive coaching staffs, but those phenoms are usually former quarterbacks with a high understanding of offensive schemes and philosophies. It’s strange to see so much offensive responsibility handed to a man who only seven years ago was playing defense at Towson as a walk-on. It probably doesn’t hurt that he was a CoSIDA academic first-team all-American with high marks at both the undergraduate and master’s levels of his education.
The Jaguars are not alone in their interest in Udinski, either. Today’s interview was Udinski’s fifth for an offensive coordinator role this offseason. A popular name, Udinski first interviewed twice with the Seahawks (a job that went to Klint Kubiak), then interviewed with the Patriots (a job that went to Josh McDaniels) before interviewing with the Buccaneers (a job that went to Josh Grizzard) and the Texans. While there’s a chance that the Houston and Jacksonville jobs may, too, fall out of his reach, it seems clear that Udinski’s trajectory is not slowing. The young coach is likely to find a home as a coordinator soon.
Despite having not hired an offensive coordinator yet, the Jaguars are reportedly actively looking to fill one of their position coaching jobs on the offensive side of the ball. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Jacksonville requested permission to interview Bills offensive/offensive line assistant Austin Gund for what he called “their open offensive line coaching position,” which seems to indicate that incumbent offensive line coach Phil Rauscher will not be returning to the role. Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports adds that the team has requested to interview 49ers assistant offensive line coach Cameron Clemmons for the job, as well.
Here’s a breakdown of the Jaguars’ search to fill the offensive coordinator position:
- Chip Kelly, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Ohio State): Team has interest
- Tavita Pritchard, quarterbacks coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/29
- Nate Scheelhaase, pass game specialist (Rams): Interviewed 1/29
- Grant Udinski, assistant quarterbacks coach (Vikings): Interviewed 1/31
Ely Allen contributed to this post.