Ravens Insider: Mike Preston: The Ravens cut Justin Tucker. There are no winners. | COMMENTARY

ExtremeRavens · May 5

Some days, there appear to be no winners, even in the world of sports.

The Ravens released kicker Justin Tucker on Monday, amid an NFL investigation into allegations from more than a dozen female massage therapists accusing him of sexual misconduct at several Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. Tucker had denied any wrongdoing, and the team did not cite the allegations in its statement about cutting ties with their longest-tenured player.

Tucker loses because his family and reputation are involved, not including a possible nomination to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Ravens don’t win because they are losing perhaps the greatest kicker of all time. Even the massage therapists don’t win because of the hostility they have surely faced by coming forward with their stories. That had to be difficult.

Are there any winners? I don’t see any.

The Ravens had to make a decision on Tucker, and they probably already had word from NFL officials that he was likely to face a suspension. Just a day ago, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, “From the standpoint of the investigation, we don’t know anything. So you can’t make any decision based on that. Every decision we make has to be based on football.”

Surely, word about the outcome of the NFL’s investigation into Tucker and the evidence it has accumulated has trickled down — that’s how the league works. It always wants to control the narrative. The team gave us a clue late last month when they drafted Arizona’s Tyler Loop in the sixth round — the first kicker to be drafted in Ravens history. It was viewed more as an insurance policy, but it was a strong indication.

There has been no official conclusion of the investigation conducted by the NFL, and maybe Tucker, an undrafted free agent signed out of Texas in 2012, can sign on with another team. His reputation, though, is already soiled.

Regardless of whether the accusations are true, they will follow him for the rest of his life. There is great sympathy for his wife and son. The same feeling holds true for the Ravens and this organization, not just because of Tucker’s Hall of Fame-level accuracy, but because he was an integral part of this team.

Tucker was a face for this team, almost as much as former owner and the late Art Modell, current owner Steve Bisciotti and Ozzie Newsome, the team’s vice president of player personnel and longtime former general manager. Tucker participated in the team’s annual Holiday Helpers event, served Thanksgiving Day meals and served as host of the annual Goodwill Gridiron Halloween Party.

He was a man of and about Baltimore, even singing opera and playing a psychiatrist on Royal Farms commercials. No player in Ravens history has appeared in more commercials than Tucker, once a marketer’s dream.

READER POLL: What factor most led the Ravens to cut Justin Tucker?

Now, let’s talk about the accuracy of his kicks — his performance, after all, is what the Ravens cited as the reason for cutting Tucker. Before this season, Tucker had made 395 of 438 field goals during the regular season and 18 of 22 in the postseason. That’s 90.2% in the regular season and 81.9% in the postseason. In the playoffs, Tucker converted on all of his field goals in five of seven years. He earned — and deserved — the nickname, Mr. Automatic.

Will he get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Yes, because if any of the Hall of Fame selections were based on poor character issues, there wouldn’t be many enshrined at Canton, Ohio.

As for the massage therapists, they have regained some integrity, but it had to be difficult and painful to recount those allegations against Tucker. We know the NFL investigators spoke to some of them. Those stories had to be tough to recount.

“Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker. Justin created many significant and unforgettable moments in Ravens history. His reliability, focus, drive, resilience and extraordinary talent made him one of the league’s best kickers for over a decade. We are grateful for Justin’s many contributions while playing for the Ravens. We sincerely wish him and his family the very best in this next chapter of their lives.”

The words are sincere and show an appreciation for Tucker.

Regardless of what has happened in the past, it’s time for this city to move on. It’s going to be hard because Tucker had such a dominant presence here in Baltimore. In time, we will hear more about the allegations, and the NFL will conclude its investigation and shed light on what it found.

But for right now, there just aren’t any winners.

Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun.