Justin Tucker

Introduction

Justin Tucker, the Baltimore Ravens placekicker widely regarded as one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, was the subject of a January 30, 2025 report in The Baltimore Banner in which six massage therapists accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior during massage sessions at four high-end spas and wellness centers in the Baltimore region between 2012 and 2016. The therapists alleged that Tucker exposed his genitals, brushed two of them with his exposed penis, and left what they believed to be ejaculate on the massage table after three of his treatments. Tucker denied the allegations, with his attorneys calling them speculative, “impossible to prove,” and “a fictitious and utterly baseless claim.” The story was followed by further allegations from ten more therapists and, in June 2025, a ten-game suspension from the NFL. In October 2026, after more than a year out of the league, the Kansas City Chiefs signed him to their practice squad — a move that itself became a controversy, with the team’s coaches pressed to explain it.

Background Information

Tucker was born on November 21, 1989, in Houston, Texas, and attended Westlake High School in Austin before playing college football at the University of Texas. He went undrafted in the 2012 NFL draft and signed with the Baltimore Ravens in May 2012, winning the starting job in his rookie season. He went on to be regarded as one of the greatest placekickers in league history: he made seven Pro Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro five times, previously held the NFL record for the longest field goal (66 yards), and ranks third in career field goal percentage at 89.1 percent. He was a member of the Ravens team that won Super Bowl XLVII, kicking two fourth-quarter field goals in the 34–31 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Off the field, the devout Catholic and classically trained bass-baritone became one of Baltimore’s most recognizable athletes, serving as a spokesman for the Royal Farms convenience store chain since 2015.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Accused, not charged. Sixteen massage therapists accused Justin Tucker of sexually inappropriate behavior during massages; the NFL suspended him ten games and the Ravens released him, and in October 2026 the Kansas City Chiefs signed him to their practice squad — a signing whose backlash forced the team’s coaches to publicly defend it. He was never criminally charged and denies all misconduct. The accusations are allegations, and the discipline he received was league conduct-policy action, not a criminal finding.

The Banner reported that six massage therapists — most of whom had not known one another before being contacted by the outlet, and who asked to be identified by a letter out of fear of retaliation — gave strikingly similar first-hand accounts of Tucker’s behavior between 2012, his rookie season with the Ravens, and 2016. The accusations included claims that Tucker exposed his genitals, brushed some of the therapists with his penis, and left what they believed to be ejaculate on treatment tables; several therapists said they ended his sessions early or refused to work on him again, and two spas told the Banner they had banned him from returning. One of the spas, the local chain Ojas, said through a representative that Tucker was “immediately terminated as a client” in 2014 after a massage therapist reported what occurred during a session with him. One therapist described the alleged behavior as “really degrading,” and another said, “I can’t watch sports anymore. I see his face everywhere.”

Tucker’s attorneys, Thomas A. Clare and Steven J. Harrison, denied the allegations, said they were speculative and “impossible to prove,” denied that Tucker was ever banned from either spa or that he ever ejaculated at a spa, and directed the Banner to more than a dozen other therapists who described positive, professional experiences with him. “Any suggestion to the contrary is a fictitious and utterly baseless claim,” they said. The women told the Banner they had not reported the allegations to the police. The allegations kept growing after the initial report: three more massage therapists came forward by February 1, 2025, and by the time the NFL acted in June 2025 the league described accusations from sixteen massage therapists at eight Baltimore-area spas.

Public Reaction and Consequences

Tucker released a lengthy statement on X the day the story published, describing the allegations as “unequivocally false” and accusing the Banner of “journalistic failures at every turn”; The Ringer reported that he accused the outlet of “misconstruing events as nefarious” to “generate clicks.” A Ravens spokesman said, “We take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation,” while the NFL said it first became aware of the allegations from the reporter investigating the story and would “look into the matter.”

The consequences followed within months: the Ravens released Tucker on May 5, 2025, after 13 seasons with the team, and on June 26, 2025, the NFL suspended him without pay for the first ten weeks of the 2025 season for violations of the personal conduct policy. Tucker declined to appeal the decision, which would have led to the release of the disciplinary officer’s findings; his agent said Tucker hoped to “put this difficult episode behind him and get back on the field as soon as possible” while standing by his statements of innocence.

The signing itself became the next controversy. Kansas City brought Tucker in on a practice-squad deal one day after a workout in which he made all 30 of his kicks, with kickoff specialist Harrison Mevis, as incumbent Harrison Butker slumped through a career-worst start. Coach Andy Reid, asked about Tucker’s past, said, “Listen, I’m not going to get into all that… to bring him in here, I did some homework… he’s here and he’s on the practice squad. So we roll with it,” and added that Tucker “has done his suspension, you know, took care of that business there. I’ll leave it at that for you.” The New York Post characterized the deal as the Chiefs “taking a chance where no one else would,” noting the Jets and Saints had passed on earlier Tucker tryouts.

Current Status

As of October 30, 2026, Tucker remains on the Chiefs’ practice squad — his first NFL opportunity since the scandal — but the team says it is sticking with Butker as its kicker. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub told reporters, “We’re trying to improve and get Butker right… He’s our kicker. He went 10-for-10 yesterday with Tucker standing right there.” Butker, who has the fourth-worst field-goal percentage in the league this season (68.8 percent) and missed two of his three kicks in a loss to the Seahawks, is expected to be in uniform for the Week 8 matchup against the Broncos; the Chiefs framed the Tucker signing as reinforcement while they work to correct their incumbent rather than a replacement. Tucker was never criminally charged and continues to deny the allegations.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The allegations ended one of the most decorated kicking careers in NFL history: less than five months after The Banner’s report, Tucker was released by the only team he had ever played for, and the NFL handed him the first discipline of his career, a ten-game suspension. The exile lasted roughly a year and a half — tryouts with the Saints, Colts, and Jets between late 2025 and mid-2026 all failed to produce a contract — before the Chiefs, desperate for kicking help, ended it in October 2026 with a practice-squad deal rather than a roster spot, one their own special teams coordinator immediately clarified did not threaten Butker’s job.

The damage extends beyond the football field. The therapists who came forward said the encounters left lasting marks: one described the behavior as “really degrading,” and another said, “I can’t watch sports anymore. I see his face everywhere.” Tucker has maintained his innocence throughout, and none of the accusers took their allegations to law enforcement; the alleged incidents have not resulted in criminal charges.

Sources

NY Post, “Chiefs coach explains kicking situation after controversial Justin Tucker signing,” published October 29, 2026 — source
NY Post, “Justin Tucker signs with Chiefs after sexual misconduct accusations,” published October 28, 2026 — source
The Guardian, “Ravens kicker Justin Tucker denies claims of sexual misconduct towards massage therapists,” published January 30, 2025 — source
The Ringer, “Six Women Say Justin Tucker Committed Sexual Misconduct During Massage Sessions,” published January 30, 2025 — source
NFL.com, “NFL suspends Justin Tucker for first 10 games of 2025 season for violation of personal conduct policy,” published June 26, 2025 — source
Wikipedia, “Justin Tucker,” accessed October 30, 2026 — source