The New York Jets just worked out former Ravens star kicker Justin Tucker on Wednesday, per The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero. This move comes despite a cloud of serious misconduct allegations that have followed the 36-year-old since his release from Baltimore in 2025. Tucker last played an NFL game back in the 2024 season.
The Disturbing Details Behind Tucker’s Past
The story here goes way beyond the field. On January 30, 2025, six different massage therapists accused Tucker of inappropriate conduct, according to reporting from The Baltimore Banner. That number exploded quickly: three more therapists came forward on February 1, and another seven piled on in mid-February. We’re talking a total of 16 massage therapists across eight different spas in the Baltimore area. The complaints, which allegedly spanned incidents from 2012 to 2016, included accusations of Tucker exposing his genitals, brushing two massage therapists with his exposed penis, and even leaving a wet spot, believed to be ejaculate, on a massage table multiple times. Tucker fired back on social media, calling the allegations “unequivocally false” and “desperate tabloid fodder.” Regardless, the Ravens cut him in May 2025, and the NFL hit him with a 10-game suspension for the start of the 2025 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. He’s had tryouts since, with the Saints and the Colts, but never made it past that stage.
A Kicking Conundrum for New York
On the field, Tucker used to be elite. For a big chunk of the late 2010s and early 2020s, he was arguably the league’s best kicker, making first or second-team All-Pro every year from 2016 to 2022. His 89.1% career field goal percentage still ranks third all-time. But even his on-field performance took a dive in 2024, when he converted only 22 of 30 field goals for a 73% make rate. That was second-worst among kickers with at least 30 attempts that season. The Jets’ own kicking game has been a mess, too. They hosted three kickers this week: Tucker, Michael Badgley, and Josh Karty. Jason Sanders actually won the training camp battle against Cade York, but then Sanders missed a field goal and an extra point in the preseason finale. The Jets went on to claim Blake Grupe off waivers, and Sanders is now sitting on the practice squad. It’s clear they are desperate for a reliable leg.
This is a wild situation for the Jets. They are clearly searching for a fix to their kicking woes, but bringing in a player with such a controversial past and a recent 10-game suspension for violating league policy is a massive gamble, on and off the field.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply