Justin Tucker #9 of the Baltimore Ravens warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. Credit :
Sam Hodde/Getty
The Baltimore Ravens released kicker Justin Tucker amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he has continued to deny.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta announced the decision via X on Monday, May 5.
“Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances. Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker,” DeCosta wrote. The statement does not mention the misconduct allegations against Tucker.
“Justin created many significant and unforgettable moments in Ravens history,” DeCosta continued. “His reliability, focus, drive, resilience and extraordinary talent made him one of the league’s best kickers for over a decade. We are grateful for Justin’s many contributions while playing for the Ravens. We sincerely wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter of their lives.”
An NFL spokesperson told CBS Sports that the league’s investigation into the allegations against Tucker remains “under review.”
PEOPLE reached out to a representative for the Ravens regarding the status of the investigation, but did not immediately hear back.
In January, The Baltimore Banner published allegations from six local massage therapists, who claimed Tucker assaulted them at four different high-end spas and wellness centers in the city.
The therapists told the publication that Tucker had allegedly exposed his genitals, brushed his genitals against them and left ejaculate on the massage table. Tucker was subsequently banned by management at two of the spas, per The Baltimore Banner.
In February, seven more came forward to accuse Tucker of sexual misconduct at spas in the Baltimore area in a follow-up Baltimore Banner report.
Tucker said the allegations against him are “unequivocally false.”
“Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I have always sought to conduct myself with the utmost professionalism,” Tucker wrote in a Jan. 30 statement. “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.”
Tucker’s wife, Amanda Tucker, spoke out in support of her husband in February.
“The false allegations against Justin have caused so much hurt to our family,” she said in a statement to OutKick. “I believe my husband, and I love and support him fully.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
