It’s unclear what the NFL or the Ravens will do following allegations from six women that Ravens kicker Justin Tucker acted inappropriately during massage therapy sessions.
Tucker strongly denies the accusations. After the NFL suspended Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for 11 games in 2022, Ravens coach John Harbaugh spoke about the Watson case following a training-camp practice.
“I do have a lot of opinions on it,” Harbaugh said at the time. “I’m just not at liberty to share them at this time. That’s for the league to decide.”
Harbaugh mentioned the Ravens’ stance on players mistreating women, which was shaped by the team’s decision to quickly release running back Ray Rice after a video of his assault on his then-fiancé surfaced.
“I respect what [owner] Steve Bisciotti and [former team president] Dick Cass created here almost 10 years ago,” Harbaugh said. “Basically, we’re kind of zero tolerance.
John Harbaugh answers the questions
You have to know the truth, you have to try to understand the circumstances, but we’ve stayed away from that particular situation — when we draft players, when we sign them as free agents. That’s Steve’s decision, and I’m glad that we have that policy.”
Harbaugh’s words could apply to Tucker’s situation. Although he specifically mentioned the importance of finding “the truth,” the reality is that specialists like Tucker are easier to replace. With Tucker struggling through parts of 2024 and having a $4.2 million non-guaranteed salary in 2025, the Ravens might eventually choose to move on from him.
Four more massage therapists have accused Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior, according to the Baltimore Banner. These new accusers join six others who came forward in an article published on Thursday.
Three women, all of whom worked at the luxury Baltimore men’s spa The QG, have accused Tucker of inappropriate behavior. They spoke with the Baltimore Banner in an article published on Saturday. A fourth woman, who did not speak with the outlet, has joined the same law firm representing six clients in the Tucker case.
In total, 10 massage therapists from five different spas and wellness centers have reportedly accused Tucker of inappropriate behavior. The incidents are said to have occurred between 2012 and 2016. Two of the spas banned Tucker as a client after the reported inappropriate actions.
The three women who came forward in Saturday’s article said the incidents mostly took place in 2014 and 2015. One woman claims Tucker exposed himself during multiple sessions. In one of those sessions, she says he ran his fingers over her inner thigh and left what she believed to be ejaculate on the table after their appointment.
“I understand that Justin Tucker is an important client to The QG, but as an employee of The QG who has tolerated the previous interactions with him, I no longer feel safe or comfortable working with him,” the woman wrote in a letter she shared with her employer in 2015.
The woman, referred to as “M.” by the *Baltimore Banner*, shared in an interview that she contacted a reporter in 2015, shortly after the incident, but later stopped talking because she feared being targeted.
“I didn’t speak up earlier because I was scared,” M. said. “What if I’m the only one who speaks out? I’m just a regular person, and he’s someone powerful in Baltimore.”
Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker watches his extra point against the Houston Texans during the first half of an NFL football game
A second woman shared her story with the *Baltimore Banner* after reading their article published on Thursday. She worked at The QG for four years as the lead massage therapist and said Tucker’s behavior grew “more and more inappropriate” during her time there.
A third woman, who was 19 when she started working at The QG, described an incident where Tucker left what she thought was semen on the sheets of the massage bed. She also said Tucker often had an erection during sessions.
Six women accusing Tucker of misconduct have hired lawyers Michael Belsky and Catherine Dickinson from the SBWD Law Firm, the *Baltimore Banner* reported.
Tucker, 35, started playing for the Ravens in 2012 as an undrafted free agent and has spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the team.
On Thursday, Tucker responded to the claims on social media, calling them “completely untrue.” His lawyers said the accusations were “not possible to verify.”
The NFL also issued a statement Thursday, saying the claims had not been reported to the league before. “We will review the matter and treat it with seriousness,” a league spokesperson said.
While the incidents fall outside the legal time limit for charges, the NFL can still penalize Tucker. In a similar case, the league suspended Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for 11 games and fined him $5 million after 24 women accused him of sexual assault and misconduct during massage sessions in civil lawsuits.
Baltimore Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias is seen before a baseball game
Last year around this time, the Baltimore Orioles made their biggest offseason move by trading for right-hander Corbin Burnes.
However, that trade ended up being a one-year deal, as Burnes left for Arizona through free agency in late December. Now, the Orioles are running out of time to find a top ace before spring training starts.
“We like where we’re at, but we still have time on the clock before the offseason’s over,” said general manager Mike Elias at the team’s Birdland Caravan on Friday. “There are still free agents. The trade market sometimes happens very late. I can’t forecast that or handicap it, but there’s still those possibilities.”
In their first offseason under new ownership, the Orioles have spent some money but haven’t made any moves as bold as trading for Burnes. Baltimore has added outfielders Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson, starting pitchers Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano, reliever Andrew Kittredge, and backup catcher Gary Sánchez. Except for O’Neill, none of these moves come with more than a one-year commitment.
As a result of these changes and raises for arbitration-eligible players, the Orioles’ payroll now ranks 15th in the majors, according to Spotrac. This is a big jump for a team that used to rank near the bottom, but Baltimore still has little money tied up for 2026 and beyond.
There may be logic to keeping future spending low, especially with several young stars like Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Grayson Rodriguez, and Jordan Westburg, who could become expensive to sign long-term.
“There’s positives to it when you have year-to-year flexibility,” Elias said. “But I’m expecting that will evolve and maybe not remain the case. Maybe this time next year, we’re talking about something different.”
Baltimore Orioles players celebrates after the win
For now, the Orioles haven’t signed any of their young stars to long-term deals, and the lack of such agreements comes with some costs. For example, Baltimore will pay 41-year-old Morton and 35-year-old Sugano a combined $28 million this year. In comparison, the New York Yankees signed All-Star Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal — an average of $27.25 million per year.
While Fried’s deal might be riskier than the Orioles’ choices, there’s a reason pitchers like him get long-term contracts. Baltimore’s success in 2025 may depend on how well the rotation performs after losing Burnes and adding only short-term options through free agency.
As the Orioles gradually increase their spending, owner David Rubenstein recently shared with Yahoo Finance that he wishes baseball had a salary cap. This comment suggests that he is not eager to go on a big spending spree, something many Baltimore fans hoped for when he took over the team last season, especially with a roster full of young, low-cost talent.
Instead, increasing the payroll has been a slow and steady process.
“I think we’ve elevated the payroll continuously since the beginning of the rebuild,” Elias said. “We’ve talked about it all along. Obviously that was before David Rubenstein and his group bought the team, but after they purchased it, it certainly, like I’ve said, kind of expanded our options in a great way.”
As the Orioles aim for their third straight postseason appearance, Elias isn’t worried about other teams’ big spending. When asked about the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have added Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, and Roki Sasaki to a team that won the World Series last year, Elias said, “I’m glad they’re in the National League West.
They’re a great, great, great organization. They’re obviously kind of at the top of their game right now. (Shohei) Ohtani is a once-in-a-century baseball player, and they have him. They’re very well run all around. Hopefully that’ll be our problem in the World Series, but kudos to them.”
