Not so long ago, Justin Tucker held the NFL record as the most accurate kicker in history. Now the former Ravens kicker is hoping for a chance. Considering he has multiple factors working against him, that could be a hard ask, but desperation creates strange bedfellows.
You see, we’re talking about Justin Tucker today because he is now official permitted to sign with an NFL team. He just finished serving a 10-game suspension, which the NFL handed down back in June. A month and a half earlier, the Ravens had already released him after drafting a kicker.
At the time, Ravens HC John Harbaugh insisted he cut Tucker for “football reasons”, but that’s surely only partially true. Tucker was facing numerous allegations of sexual misconduct in massage parlors during his career. While the NFL hadn’t handed down the suspension yet, Baltimore knew something was coming down the chute.
Just as notably, they had watched Justin Tucker decline. While he had recent dips in his performance, the bottom fell out last season. He finished with just a 73.3-percent success rate on field goals, including just 6-for-11 from 50-plus yards. With 50-yarders now seen as standard, that is obviously not sustainable. He also finished the year 5-for-8 from the 40-49-yard range.
Oh, and Tucker is about to turn 36 years old. So who is going to want an old, precipitously declining kicker who is a social pariah? Fortunately for him, there is always going to be a team having issues, and this year is no exception. Despite his recent history, I could certainly see him earning a tryout or two in the near future.
One team that might explore signing Justin Tucker is the Los Angeles Rams. They are a potential Super Bowl-contending team this year, but their kicking has been inconsistent at best. Second-year Joshua Karty is struggling, just 10-for-15 on the season, plus three misses on extra points.
The Green Bay Packers are in the same boat with veteran Brandon McManus, who had a great season in 2024 but is struggling now. So far he is just 11-for-17 on the season. Green Bay has lost each of its past two games by three points. McManus missed a field goal in each of them. In his last three games, he is just 4-for-8.
Meanwhile, New York Giants K Graham Gano is dealing with a neck injury. The issue was serious enough that they added Ben Sauls to the practice squad, but they could potentially consider Justin Tucker as an insurance policy as well. And that might be the best opportunity for him, as it might be asking too much for a team to sign him outright. At least not initially, before he proves himself on the field again.
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