Dan Le Batard Criticizes Ravens for How They Handled Justin Tucker’s Release
The Baltimore Ravens released longtime kicker Justin Tucker on Monday, officially attributing the move to “football reasons.” However, sports commentator Dan Le Batard criticized the organization for failing to address the serious allegations of sexual misconduct tied to Tucker in their announcement.
Tucker’s departure ends a 13-year tenure with the Ravens, during which he built a Hall of Fame-caliber career. But that legacy has come under scrutiny after more than a dozen massage therapists accused him of assault—a situation drawing uncomfortable parallels to the case involving Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. Despite the gravity of the accusations, the Ravens’ official statement sidestepped them entirely.
On his Tuesday show, Le Batard called out the NFL’s handling of such issues:
“What the league is really saying is that if someone is accused of disturbing misconduct, like Justin Tucker allegedly is, the only thing that matters is performance. If your field goal percentage dips from 90% to 80%, then you get cut. Not because of the allegations.”
Le Batard went further, saying:
“The NFL is showing us how little it values women. If a kicker drops off in performance and also has serious accusations against him, that’s when he’s expendable—and still, the team won’t publicly acknowledge the accusations.”
In April, the Ravens drafted Tyler Loop in the sixth round, a move now seen as a sign they were preparing to move on from Tucker. Still, many believed his release would come explicitly due to the off-field allegations.
The Ravens’ statement focused solely on Tucker’s contributions:
“This was a very difficult football decision… Justin gave us countless unforgettable moments. We thank him and wish him the best moving forward.”
The move will save Baltimore $4.2 million in salary cap space, with Tucker designated as a post-June 1 release.
Tucker joined the Ravens in 2012 as an undrafted free agent out of Texas and became one of the most accurate kickers in league history. However, his performance slipped last season, and the combination of that decline and the serious accusations contributed to his exit.
