Until NFL investigation ends, Justin Tucker could have a difficult time finding a new team
The Ravens have released kicker Justin Tucker. Once the transaction becomes official (presumably today), Tucker will become a free agent.
In theory, he'll be able to sign immediately with any team. As a practical matter, any interested team will likely wait.
The NFL's investigation regarding the allegations made against Tucker (he denies them all) will continue. He could eventually be suspended. It's sensible to assume that teams will wait for the decision to be made — and the suspension, if any, to be served — before offering him a roster spot.
Beyond the potential P.R. impact of bringing a kicker who doesn't kick as well as he once did to town, Tucker's next team won't know when it will be able to use him until the suspension, if any, is served.
If that's how it plays out, it becomes important for Tucker to get this behind him as soon as he can. If it lingers into the 2025 season, he'll be essentially suspended. That could make a negotiated outcome more attractive to him, with Tucker's representatives and the league reaching an agreement on a number of games.
The 2020 CBA changed the landscape regarding Personal Conduct Policy cases. Now, a third party conducts a hearing and makes findings of fact that cannot be appealed. There's risk for both sides. Judge Sue L. Robinson (who handled the Deshaun Watson case in 2022) could find that the evidence shows wrongdoing by Tucker. She also could find that the evidence falls short of proving that he did anything.
Still, if it lingers, Tucker loses. He needs to get this resolved by Week 1, if his goal is to end up with a new team as soon as possible.
It's still possible for a new team to decide to give him a shot, knowing that if/when he's suspended, another kicker will be needed. Still, few teams will want to embrace the scrutiny that would go along with welcoming Tucker to town under the cloud of unresolved allegations involving misconduct during massage-therapy sessions.
Especially since the supply of competent kickers always outweighs the demand — and since Tucker wasn't in 2024 the kicker he used to be.
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