Raven Country

How Booted Ravens Kicker Compares to Similarly Ousted NFL Stars

Justin Tucker was officially released after a week of rumors about his future with the Baltimore Ravens, fueling some fiery online debate over how the league has recently handled similarly divisive figures.
Henry Brown|
Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (9) reacts after missing a field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (9) reacts after missing a field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

Longtime Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has heard it from the football world for much of the offseason after The Baltimore Banner dropped their bombshell report of his years of sexual assault allegations in January.

The team he'd spent his entire professional career with was well aware of the ongoing investigation the NFL's launched concerning Tucker's 16 allegations, drafting their potential kicker of the future in Arizona's Tyler Loop last week and giving him a chance to replace their aging legend and his newfound controversies.

The team officially severed ties with the likely-Hall of Famer on Monday afternoon, with the Ravens organization catching some flack for a release that framed Tucker's release more like a "football decision" than one based on recent off-the-field concerns.

Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta and his front office have heard it from various pundits in the day since, with Dan Le Batard going in on the organization's history with players battling legal disputes.

Just over a decade ago, they had to reckon with Ray Rice after the running back was recorded beating his then-fiancee in an elevator and dragging her away.

The story dominated Rice's next year, with the Ravens waiting eight months to suspend Rice after first seeing the video. He never suited up in the NFL again, facing a similar situation to Tucker when the team saw diminishing returns in his final season as the team's star back. Rice's average yards per carry plummeted from a Pro-Bowl level 4.4 all the way down to 3.1 in just one season leading up to the incident, making it that much easier to cut ties.

Deshaun Watson is the best league-wide parallel to compare to Tucker, having heard his own fair share of allegations from vandalized masseuses. The quarterback's own wave of assault claims arrived before he hit his decline, as he signed a long-term guaranteed deal in Cleveland in the midst of his legal troubles.

Tucker plays a much more expendable position than Watson, even after having spent the better part of the last decade kicking about as well as anyone ever has, and his down year in 2024 laid the groundwork for the divorce. It's just as clear as ever that on-field production remains the primary concern in the minds of the average league executive.

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Henry Brown
HENRY BROWN

Henry covers the Washington Wizards and Baltimore Ravens with prior experience as a sports reporter with The Baltimore Sun, the Capital Gazette and The Lead. A Bowie, MD native, he earned his Journalism degree at the University of Maryland.

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