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ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes questioned the “fawning” language used in the Ravens’ statement announcing the release of veteran kicker Justin Tucker, who has been accused of inappropriate behavior — including sexual misconduct — by 16 massage therapists in the Baltimore area.
“Was this tone necessary?” Kimes said in a quote tweet about the Ravens’ statement Monday.
When an X user responded in criticism of her post, Kimes provided further context of her opinion.
“Me: Hey maybe don’t bend over backwards to praise the incredible resilience of a guy accused by 16 different women of sexual misconduct,” Kimes tweeted Monday night.
“You: OH YOU’RE CALLING FOR THE DEATH PENALTY?”
The Ravens announced Monday they would be parting ways with Tucker, who emerged as one of the greatest kickers in NFL history in his 13 seasons with the team.
The statement made no mention of the allegations, which Tucker has denied and his wife has labeled as “false,” and included very positive statements about the 35-year-old.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta previously called the allegations “serious and concerning” and said the team would make its decision based on the NFL’s investigation.
“Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances. Considering our current roster, we have made the tough decision to release Justin Tucker,” DeCosta said in the statement.
“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.”
Kimes believes the team could have pulled back on the praise surrounding Tucker’s career considering the allegations, which include exposing his penis and brushing it against two massage therapists.
“There’s a vast spectrum between crapping on someone and singing the praises of a guy being accused by 16 different women of sexual misconduct,” Kimes tweeted to a user questioning her opinion.
Some had wondered whether the Ravens would have moved on from Tucker regardless of the allegations, considering he had by far the worst year of his career in 2024, delivering on just 73.3 percent of his kicks, and he had been slated to carry the highest cap hit of any kicker.
Tucker had previously never finished below 82.5 percent for a campaign.
When two fellow NFL analysts referenced the wording used by the team perhaps being influenced by fear of scorn from the NFL Players Association, Kimes agreed the team likely would have moved on from Tucker, but then called out DeCosta for his wording.
“Im not questioning the football decision aspect–I think (NFL.com’s) Gregg (Rosenthal) is correct–moreso the fawning language from EDC (DeCosta),” Kimes tweeted.
One user later replied to Kimes in agreement that the team could have been “shorter” with its response and perhaps really tried to “sell” the difficult, to which she replied with how it could have gone down.
“‘Was a football decision. Had an incredibly productive career.’ Easy!” Kimes posted.
The Ravens picked Tyler Loop out of Arizona in the sixth round of the NFL draft last month and he is in line to replace Tucker.
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