In the aftermath of bombshell allegations made against Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is wondering how long the special teamer may have known these reports were coming.
On Thursday, in a story in The Baltimore Banner, Tucker was accused by six massage therapists of exposing his genitals, brushing two of them with his exposed penis, and leaving what the workers are alleging was ejaculate on massage tables.
Per the Banner’s reporting, Tucker had been banned from two spas as a result of his behavior. Some workers made the decision to end their sessions early and others refused to work on him again.
Tucker and his lawyers have vehemently denied the accusations, with the kicker calling them ‘unequivocally false’ in a statement posted after the article’s publication.
On Friday morning’s episode of ‘First Take’, Smith openly wondered if this story and its reporting may have had an effect on his play on the field.
Tucker, who is one of the most reliable kickers in NFL history, had an appallingly bad year by his standards in 2024.
Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has been accused of inappropriate behavior at multiple spas and massage studios in and around the city by at least six massage therapists
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith wondered if the story and its reporting affected Tucker’s kicking
‘In a roundabout way, I wonder how long he’s known that these allegations were coming down the pike,’ Smith said on Friday.
‘Because we’re talking about the most accurate kicker in NFL history. Justin Tucker has made 89.1 percent of his field goals in his career, the most accurate in history.
‘Yet this year, he was at 73 percent, which was his worst. His worst of his career. Fourth worst in the NFL among 31 kickers with a minimum of 20 attempts. It was the absolute worst season of his career.
‘If he knew those allegations were coming down the pike, that might explain the inexplicable that we’ve been asking ourselves all year long. Why the hell is this guy all of a sudden he can’t make kicks? What the hell is going on? That might answer the question.’
Prior to the 2024 season, Tucker had never finished an NFL campaign with a field goal completion percentage below 82.5 percent – with six seasons hitting 90 percent of his field goals or better.
He’s the NFL record holder in field goal percentage (89.1) and kicked the NFL’s longest ever field goal in 2021 from 66 yards out.
The allegations made against him span from his rookie season in 2012 up until 2016. In that time, he was the league’s most accurate kicker once (2016) and hit a combined 168 field goals in 187 attempts for an 89.8 percent completion rate.
But this season, as Smith pointed out, his accuracy took a nosedive. He made only 22 of 30 attempts for a completion percentage of 73.3.
Over a 12 year career in the NFL, Tucker has become one of the most reliable kickers ever
But this season, Tucker only converted on 73.3 percent of his kicks – his worst mark ever
In the aftermath of the Banner’s story being published, multiple twists have been brought forth – including from a Denver Broncos beat reporter who was tipped off to the possible allegations in advance.
Five of the six women who detailed their experiences to the Banner claimed that the NFL star had asked them to massages him pelvic area or inner thighs while he had an erection.
They alleged he would then maneuver his pelvis in a way that would cause the sheets to fall away, either partially or full exposing his genitals.
Two of the therapists, who have all wished to remain anonymous through fear of retaliation from the Ravens organization or fans, alleged that Tucker went as far as to brush them with his exposed penis.
On other occasions, three of the women claimed when they returned to the treatment room following their work on Tucker, they discovered ‘a large wet spot on the massage table,’ which they believed to be ejaculate.
Ojas, an upscale local spa chain on the outskirts of Baltimore, ‘immediately terminated’ Tucker as a client in 2014 after one of its therapists reported an incident, a spokesperson told the Banner.
Tucker expressly denied the accusations in the report – calling them ‘unequivocally false’
Tucker met his now-wife Amanda during their freshman year at the University of Texas
Studio 921, a now-closed center in Locust Point, said that it took similar immediate action to ban Tucker from its premises in order ‘to ensure a safe environment for all.’
A lawyer for the spa is said to have called Tucker personally to inform him he was no longer able to return.
But in a statement, the NFL star said: ‘Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I have always sought to conduct myself with the utmost professionalism.
‘I have never before been accused of misconduct of any kind, and I have never been accused of acting inappropriately in front of a massage therapist or during a massage therapy session or during other bodywork.
‘I have never received any complaints from a massage therapist, have never been dismissed from a massage therapy or bodywork session, and have never been told that I was not welcome at any spa or other place of business.
‘In accusing me of misconduct, the article takes innocuous, or ambiguous, interactions and skews them so out of proportion they are no longer recognizable, and it presents vague insinuations as fact. This is desperate tabloid fodder.’
He added: ‘I have always made a conscious effort to be considerate and respectful in all of the interactions with the community that I love so much. It is devastating for me to learn that anyone would feel I was offensive in any way.
‘I maintain I did not act inappropriately at any point before, during, or after a professional bodywork treatment session. I would never intend to offend or hurt anyone, ever.
Tucker played a key role in the Ravens’ 2013 Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers
‘As a matter of principle, I respect when individuals come forward to report misconduct of any kind. I support a process that allows claims to be properly investigated.
‘But, for the sake of myself and my family, I cannot allow false claims to go unchallenged. I cannot be any clearer.
‘These allegations are false and incredibly hurtful to both me and, more importantly, my family.’
The Ravens have not yet made public comment on the matter.
