The Ravens have made the decision to release long time K Justin Tucker who is currently under investigation by the NFL for improper conduct that has come to light following allegations from 16 massage therapists. The Ravens framed this release as a football decision, and while Tucker has struggled the last two years it seems clear that the allegations are the driving force behind this release.

The cost of the release is expensive. Tucker will carry $7.517 million in dead money from the various bonuses in the contract extension he signed in 2022. The Ravens will designate him a post June 1 cut which allows them to split that charge as $2.872 million in 2025 and $4.645 million in 2026. The Ravens will free up $4.2 million in cap room in 2025 when Tucker comes off the books on June 2nd.

The four year contract extension for Tucker will go down as a mistake by the Ravens. Tucker was extended in 2023 when he had two years remaining on his prior contract. He received a $5.5 million signing bonus and $6 million option bonus to help the Ravens create cap room and even did a max restructure for $2.29 million last year. Tucker only completed one new year of the contract, earning $10.45 million for that one year. Tucker was set to become the highest earning kicker of all time this year.