Former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker will not appear in the first two months of the NFL season. The NFL suspended the 36-year-old for 10 weeks for violations of the league’s personal conduct policy, league officials said on Thursday.
Several massage therapists in the Baltimore area accused Tucker of sexual misconduct in recent months. The alleged incidents occurred between 2012 and 2016. The seven-time Pro Bowler has denied the allegations.
The Ravens released Tucker in May. He is currently a free agent.
The suspension would begin on Aug. 26, roster cutdown day, and continue through Nov. 10. The timing of the suspension will not change if Tucker is signed by an NFL club. He will be eligible to play in Week 11 and could participate in preseason games, the league said.
“Justin has always strived to carry himself in a way that would make his family and community proud,” Tucker’s representatives said in a statement to ESPN. “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.”
Ravens officials insisted that the off-field concerns did not affect their decision to cut the five-time All-Pro. Baltimore drafted Arizona kicker Tyler Loop in the sixth round of this year’s draft.
“It’s complicated, but in the end, it all comes back to what you have to do to get ready for your team to play the first game,” Harbaugh told reporters of the decision to release Tucker last month. “We’ve got to have a kicker ready to go. That was the move that we decided to make, so in that sense, it’s a football decision.”
Tucker, who was on a Hall of Fame trajectory, had the worst season of his career in 2024. The 35-year-old converted just 73.3% of his field goals with two missed extra points.
The Texas product remains the most accurate kicker in NFL history with a career field-goal percentage of 89.1%, narrowly ahead of the 88.6% posted by Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tucker’s 10-week suspension mirrors the punishment assessed to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in 2022. In a similar situation, several massage therapists in the Houston area accused Watson of sexual misconduct when he was a member of the Texans.
Watson received an 11-week suspension, though the NFL also fined the quarterback $5 million.
The Ravens responded to Tucker’s allegations with a pink slip.
The Browns were aware of the accusations against Watson when they traded three first-round picks to the Texans and signed the then-26-year-old to a fully guaranteed contract worth $230 million.
Watson has underperformed in Cleveland and will likely miss most of the 2025 campaign after suffering an Achilles tear in October. He “re-ruptured” the tendon in January, the team said.