Justin Tucker, one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, will be sidelined for the first 10 weeks of the 2025 regular season.
The league handed down the suspension after an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior during massage therapy sessions. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news on Thursday.
Tucker, 35, remains a free agent following his release by the Ravens last month. Although the team insisted the decision was based solely on football factors, the timing raised eyebrows as the NFL’s probe was still ongoing.
Tucker has denied all accusations, which stem from claims by 16 women in reports published by the Baltimore Banner, alleging misconduct between 2012 and 2016.
Suspension Ends November 11
The NFL determined that Tucker violated its personal conduct policy. His 10-week ban will begin on August 26, coinciding with roster cutdown day, and end on November 11. While Tucker has not been criminally charged or named in any civil lawsuits, the league, his representatives, and the NFLPA reached a disciplinary resolution after weeks of discussion.
Under the collective bargaining agreement signed in 2020, the league can impose discipline after completing its own investigation, even in the absence of criminal proceedings. If the parties don’t agree on the outcome, the case typically moves to a jointly appointed disciplinary officer. That rarely happens, only one case involving former judge Sue L. Robinson has gone that route, when Deshaun Watson received an 11-game suspension and $5 million fine in 2022 after a league appeal.
Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta released a statement when the team cut ties with Tucker, calling the move “an incredibly difficult” football decision. The Ravens drafted rookie kicker Tyler Loop in the sixth round of April’s draft. Head coach John Harbaugh said the club had no access to the NFL’s investigation details at the time.
“From the standpoint of the investigation and all that, we don’t know anything,” Harbaugh said during rookie minicamp. “Every decision we make has to be based on football.”
Tucker, a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, holds the highest field goal accuracy rate in NFL history at 89.1 percent. Now, with his football future uncertain and a suspension hanging over him, the former Ravens star faces the challenge of finding a new team willing to take a chance.
