Harbaugh: Cutting Tucker was 'complex' decision

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Speaking for the archetypal clip since the merchandise of Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens manager John Harbaugh acknowledged Wednesday that it was a "complex decision-making process" that included himself, proprietor Steve Bisciotti, squad president Sashi Brown and wide manager Eric DeCosta.

Tucker, the NFL's astir close kicker, was released by the Ravens connected May 5 amid an NFL probe for intersexual misconduct.

"I mean, you're talking astir arguably the champion kicker successful the past of the game," Harbaugh said aft the team's 2nd OTA signifier of the offseason. "And similar we said, it's multi-layered [and] it's complicated. But successful the end, it each comes backmost to what you person to bash to get acceptable for your squad to play the archetypal game. And I deliberation if you measurement backmost and you instrumentality a look astatine each the issues and each the ramifications, you tin recognize that we've got to get our shot squad acceptable and we've got to person a kicker to go. And that was the determination that we decided to make."

Harbaugh added, "So successful that sense, it's a shot determination and present we person to walk each of our absorption and our clip to get these kickers ready. We've got a contention going connected and [we've got to] get these guys acceptable to marque kicks. So that's each I'm reasoning about. From my perspective, it's like, 'We person to person a kicker retired determination making kicks,' and what's the champion mode to get that done?"

Tucker, 35, has been accused of misconduct by 16 massage therapists from 8 high-end spas and wellness centers successful the Baltimore area, according to the Baltimore Banner. All of the alleged misconduct reportedly occurred betwixt 2012 and 2016, Tucker's archetypal 5 seasons successful the NFL.

Tucker has doubly publically denied immoderate wrongdoing. He has called the allegations "unequivocally false" and described the Banner's nonfiction arsenic "desperate tabloid fodder."

Ravens officials antecedently said they would hold for the NFL's probe to reason earlier making a determination connected Tucker. But Baltimore pivoted and chopped Tucker 9 days aft the squad made the historical determination of selecting Tyler Loop successful the sixth circular of the NFL draft. That marked the archetypal clip successful the franchise's 30 years that it drafted a kicker.

In releasing Tucker earlier this month, Ravens wide manager Eric DeCosta said successful a connection that it was a "football decision."

Asked however this could beryllium labeled a shot determination if Tucker hadn't kicked since January, Harbaugh said, "Like I conscionable said, it's a multilayer decision. If it was conscionable a achromatic and achromatic elemental thing, past it would beryllium casual to understand, but I deliberation anybody tin look astatine the full happening successful position and say, 'OK, we've got to person a kicker acceptable to go,' and there's a full batch of moving parts of that deal. It is conscionable the world of it."

A seven-time Pro Bowl player, Tucker is coming disconnected the worst play of his 13-year NFL career. He missed 10 full kicks, 3 much than successful immoderate erstwhile season. His 73.3% conversion complaint (22-of-30) connected tract goals past play ranked 31st successful the NFL.

In replacing Tucker, Baltimore is holding a contention betwixt Loop and John Hoyland, an undrafted rookie kicker from Wyoming. The past clip the Ravens went with a rookie kicker was with Tucker successful 2012, erstwhile Baltimore won the Super Bowl.

Harbaugh was asked astir the level of hazard progressive for a championship-caliber squad to trust connected a rookie kicker.

"There's a batch of risks successful life," Harbaugh said. "There's a hazard [when] you get successful your car; you'll beryllium driving location successful this rain. I privation you to beryllium precise careful. It's going to beryllium risky retired determination connected that road."