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Ravens' John Harbaugh on Justin Tucker Allegations: 'Sad and Disappointed'

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh speaks about the Justin Tucker allegations for the first time.
Jon Alfano|
Dec 21, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) warms up in the end zone before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) warms up in the end zone before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he was "sad and disappointed" to learn about the sexual misconduct allegations against kicker Justin Tucker, marking his first public comments since the allegations came out.

"That's not something you want to wake up and read," Harbaugh told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "You don't want to read about it - things that are hurtful and harmful to people. There's too many headlines like that. Too many stories that you hear that make you sad and disappointed."

"The NFL is looking into it. They're going to review it. They're gonna try to gather all the facts and I'm sure we'll have an understanding of it at that time. And then once they're is an understanding of it, then you'll have a chance to make some decisions and determinations. That's where we're at right now," Harbaugh continued.

As of Tuesday, 16 Baltimore area-massage therapists have accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior during sessions. The alleged incidents all took place between 2012, Tucker's rookie season, and 2016, and many featured similar disturbing details.

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker after missing a field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs
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

NFL investigators visited Baltimore late last week to speak with some of the women who spoke out against Tucker. Three of those women have already interviewed and two more are set to interview in the near future.

Like general manager Eric DeCosta said earlier Tuesday, Harbaugh said he was unaware of the allegations until shortly before the Baltimore Banner published its original article on Jan. 30.

"I learned after Eric told me," Harbaugh said. "I think right before it came out. Maybe The Banner had called Eric and told him that there was something coming out. We didn't know anything about what it was going to be, so I knew what it was when I read it."

Harbaugh added that he met with Tucker a week or two after the allegations became public, with the focus of that conversation being how the kicker and his family were handling the situation.

Both Harbaugh and DeCosta were very clear about adhering to the NFL's investigation, so a final decision before that investigation concludes seems unlikely.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.

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