Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

NFL Places 10-Game Suspension on Former Ravens Kicker Justin Tucker

Justin Tucker is still a free agent after the Ravens released him in May

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The NFL has hit Justin Tucker with a massive 10-game suspension following allegations of off-field actions that took place between 2012 and 2106. Tucker has been accused of sexual misconduct against multiple massage therapists during that period.

As per reports, allegations against one of the greatest kickers of this generation first came to light in January, but Tucker has maintained his innocence. It has become public knowledge that the six massage therapists working at 8 different spas in Baltimore claimed that Tucker’s inappropriate behaviour included exposing himself and making inappropriate contact with them, among other ill-suited actions.

Following discussions that took place between the NFL, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), and Tucker’s legal team, the decision was taken to suspend the kicker for the first 10 games of the upcoming season.

Former #Ravens K Justin Tucker, recently released by Baltimore amid a slew of off-the-field allegations related to alleged sexual misconduct, was officially suspended 10 weeks by the NFL. pic.twitter.com/bILDG53Db2
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 26, 2025

Why Is Justin Tucker Accepting the Suspension?

While the former Ravens’ kicker has accepted the league’s decision to ban him, he still denies any wrongdoing. As a matter of fact, once the investigation started, Tucker released a statement defending himself from any improper conduct, and he hasn’t backtracked on his words ever since.

“The allegations against me in The Baltimore Banner article about me are unequivocally false. Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I have always sought to conduct myself with the utmost professionalism. I have never before been accused of misconduct of any kind, and I have never been accused of acting inappropriately in front of a massage therapist or during a massage therapy session or during other bodywork. I have never received any complaints from a massage therapist, have never been dismissed from a massage therapy or bodywork session, and have never been told that I was not welcome at any spa or other place of business.”

The question at hand now is, why has Tucker accepted the suspension if he still maintains his innocence? The motive behind this could very well be the fact that the NFL’s career field goal percentage leader was released by the Ravens last month following these allegations, and no team has shown any interest in the kicker since then.

Also Read: “He’s Been Awesome to Me” Steelers’ Rookie QB Will Howard Speaks on Rodgers’ Mentorship

Ravens release K Justin Tucker. pic.twitter.com/ZMaQNq5ybn
— NFL (@NFL) May 5, 2025

According to the suspension, Tucker could still sign with any team he wants as a free agent, take part in all training and every other team activity except for playing in actual games for the duration of the suspension. That means Tucker gains the advantage of serving his suspension, and even if he is signed by a team, he can return to action just after half the season is over.

Tucker’s Struggles in the 2024-25 Season

The sexual misconduct allegations against Tucker came to light in January 2025, but Tucker also faced on-field problems last season. Generally accepted as one of the best, if not the best, kickers in the history of the NFL, Tucker missed a career-high 8 field goals last season.

Usually, Tucker has always maintained a field goal percentage in the range of the high 80s to mid-90s, but last season was his first season where his kicking percentage fell under 80% all the way to a career-low of 73.3%.

It is in part because of Tucker’s off-field allegations and his on-field struggles that the Ravens decided to move on from him after 13 seasons. Whether the 37-year-old will get another shot at continuing his career, and if so, with which team, are the questions that will be answered in the future. But for now, Tucker’s latest setback may have cost him his career.

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!