Ravens made a "football decision" (wink, nod) about Justin Tucker
The Ravens have been in a delicate spot from the moment the first allegations surfaced in January against kicker Justin Tucker. On Monday, they made an indelicate exit from the relationship.
On one hand, there have been no findings that Tucker has done anything wrong, in civil court, criminal court, or the Court of Commissioner Goodell. Tucker has unequivocally denied the numerous accusations of misconduct during massage-therapy sessions.
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On the other hand, he plays a position that is as interchangeable as they come. Especially since Tucker has regressed from his previous perennial Pro Bowl-level performance. When faced with the choice between a run-of-the-mill kicker who is creating a significant distraction and is due to make $4.2 million this year and one who isn't, it's a no-brainer. And with run-of-the-mill kickers available anywhere and everywhere, the Ravens were always going to be moving on from Tucker.
They opted to do the dance. To wait until after the start of the new league year in March, when Tucker could be released with a post-June 1 designation and significant 2025 cap savings. To wait until after they could use a sixth-round pick on Arizona kicker Tyler Loop, without their potential selection of a kicker during the draft being obvious. To wait until they could get a look at Loop during this weekend's rookie minicamp.
The fact that it was couched by G.M. Eric DeCosta as a "football decision" is no surprise. Players are released for football reasons all the time. There's no mechanism in the Collective Bargaining Agreement for challenging the constant churn of football decisions.
If the decision was influenced (as it likely was) in whole or in part by non-football reasons, the Ravens would have invited a potential CBA issue by saying so. At a minimum, Tucker could have argued under the "one punishment" principle that the team's decision to release him in the aftermath of the allegations should short-circuit the pending Personal Conduct Policy investigation. (He still could.)
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This was all strategic and calculated by the Ravens, as all best-interests-of-the-team decisions are. After the Ravens' 2024 playoff run ended, DeCosta said he expects Tucker to be the Ravens' kicker in 2025. Then came the allegations. Instead of immediately applying a supposed "zero tolerance" policy to Tucker, the Ravens waited. They weathered a P.R. storm that was more like a light drizzle. And they were able to wait for the draft (and rookie minicamp) to come and go before making a move.
On Sunday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh emphasized that the team would make football decisions only about Tucker. The next day, they made one.
It most likely wasn't only a football decision. But there's no way to prove it, because the Ravens have said (and not said) all the right things about Tucker's off-field situation.
All that said, DeCosta's statement seemed to be a little bit over the top. As noted by Brandon Kleen of AwfulAnnouncing.com, multiple members of the sports media have questioned the tone and content of the team's announcement.
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The Ravens likely would prefer to be dragged until the next bright, shiny object distracts the media (i.e., tomorrow morning at the latest) than risk inviting an argument that they were influenced by Tucker's off-field situation. Still, here's what we (or at least I) think the Ravens would have said, if they were being candid and direct: "Justin has been a great kicker. Last year, he wasn't as great as he'd been. We were willing to give him a chance to get back on track. But the off-field allegations became just too much. If it had been one or two people, we'd be willing to let it play out. But 16? It's hard to think they all are lying, and he's currently not good enough to justify circling the wagons until it all plays out."
Obviously, they didn't say it that way. And they'll take some P.R. heat for it. Still, it will be very difficult for Tucker to do anything about it. And that likely has been the plan from the moment they realized that they couldn't and wouldn't bring him back for 2025.
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