INDIANAPOLIS — When the Baltimore Banner reached out to the Ravens to discuss the allegations coming to light against kicker Justin Tucker, head coach John Harbaugh was in disbelief.
Not knowing the full context of the allegations still coming to light, Harbaugh said he didn’t know the breadth of the situation until he read it himself.
Tucker is accused of inappropriate behavior by 16 victims who were massage therapists at eight different high-end spas between 2012 and 2016.
“It’s not what you want to wake up to and read,” Harbaugh said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine before echoing general manager Eric DeCosta’s assessment of a “serious situation, concerning.”
“There’s too many stories like that that make you feel sad, less than great.”
DeCosta said the Ravens are allowing the NFL investigation into the incidents to play out.
“It’s a tough deal,” Harbaugh said. “That is what we’re trying to do is reconcile it.”
Harbaugh called Tucker about two weeks later on a Sunday morning to check on him and talk “more from a family perspective.”
He made it clear that the circumstances impact the team this week.
“We’re looking at kickers,” Harbaugh said. “You look at every position. We would’ve been looking at kickers anyway. Justin’s our kicker but nobody can go forever.”
Tucker’s representatives told The Banner to refer to the kicker’s lengthy social media post on Jan. 30 in which he vehemently denied all allegations. Tucker called the allegations “unequivocally false” in that post.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said earlier this month he was “surprised” when he got word of the alleged wrongdoing. He addressed the allegations against Tucker during his press conference ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
“They are obviously serious issues and he is taking that seriously as are we,” Goodell said at the time.
The Ravens said in their previous statement that they “take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation.”
Tucker, 35, moved to the Baltimore region in 2012 after the Ravens signed him as an undrafted free agent. In 13 seasons with the team, he is a five-time All-Pro selection, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and the NFL’s all-time leader in field goal percentage at 89.1.
The Banner began investigating a tip received Jan. 9 regarding the allegations involving Tucker.
–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media
