It’s a new era for the Baltimore Ravens.
For the first time in years, Justin Tucker won’t be their kicker.
The Ravens released a lengthy statement thanking him for his services and all he did for the organization when they released him this offseason.
Head coach John Harbaugh hadn’t talked to reporters since then.
Now, in a recent press conference, he claimed that the release was a “complex and multi-layered decision” that included owner Steve Bisciotti, president Sashi Brown, executive vice president Ozzie Newsome and general manager Eric DeCosta.
> “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 [said](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6390557/2025/05/29/ravens-justin-tucker-release-harbaugh-decision/) of releasing Tucker, via The Athletic. “If you step back and you take a look at all the issues and all the ramifications, you can understand that we’ve got to get our football team ready and we’ve got to have a kicker to go. So in that sense, it’s a football decision, and now we have to spend all of our focus and our time to get these kickers ready.”
Tucker, who struggled on the field last season, is also in the midst of a disturbing scandal.
Multiple reports from The Baltimore Banner claimed that Tucker had been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by 16 massage therapists from eight different spas in the Baltimore area.
The accusations reportedly went as far back as 2012.
The NFL is still conducting an investigation, and though Tucker has repeatedly denied the accusations, it’s hard to think any team will want to take a chance and sign him right now.
The Ravens added kicker Tyler Loop in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft before cutting ties with the 35-year-old veteran.
The organization faced some backlash when it claimed the decision was related to “football reasons,” although he did miss a career-high eight field goal attempts last season (22-for-30).
A five-time All-Pro and one of the greatest kickers of all time, not many people saw Tucker’s career in Baltimore ending this way.
[NEXT: Ravens TE Hints About His Future With Team](https://www.thecoldwire.com/ravens-te-hints-about-his-future-with-team/)