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Justin Tucker Kicking Audition Tests New York Jets Commitment to Character
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- Justin Tucker Kicking Audition Tests New York Jets Commitment to Character
"Culture is about people," New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said early in his team tenure.
"And as we continue to get the right people within the building, the culture is going to change. That's something I learned a long time ago. Me sitting up there giving a rah-rah speech, that has nothing to do with coaching. … Coaching is about the people we bring in the building. I'm just not talking about players. I'm talking about coaches too; I'm talking about support staff too. We're trying to do a really good job of bringing the right people in the building and as we do that the culture will eventually change."
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So now he confronts a dilemma: he desperately needs a kicker, and one of the best in the NFL is available. The problem is that pesky character and culture issue, which is the reason kicker Justin Tucker is on the market and available.
As a player, there's no question Tucker would improve the kicking game. He sports an overall 89.1% lifetime field goal percentage and was part of a Super Bowl-winning Baltimore Ravens team.
But 16 female massage therapists in the Baltimore area accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior during sessions between 2012 and 2016. Their claims include exposing his genitals, unwanted physical contact (such as stroking inner thighs), and leaving bodily fluids on massage tables. Two spas eventually banned him.
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Tucker strongly denied all of the allegations, but was released by the Ravens following the 2024 season. No criminal or civil charges were filed, but the NFL suspended him for 10 games. His banishment ended in Nov. 2025.
Tucker was one of three kickers brought in this week for a workout by the Jets, who allowed ultra-reliable kicker Nick Folk to sign with the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason. The team's summer kicking competition didn't inspire them, so now they are hoping for an upgrade before their Sept. 13 opener with the Tennessee Titans.
It's a major decision. In the first seven weeks of the 2025 NFL season, USA Today reported that there have been 108 NFL games with 59 (54.6 percent) decided by one score, 30 (27.8 percent) decided by three points or fewer and 76 (70.4 percent) that have been one-score games at some point in the fourth quarter.
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Does the audition of Tucker indicate the Jets aren't concerned about the past? Other teams have dealt with similar situations and decided that talent outweighed any legal issues, most prominently the Cleveland Browns. They anointed Deshaun Watson their quarterback starter once he cleared his legal hurdles and settled civil matters with more than 20 women who made similar allegations about his conduct. The NFL suspended Watson as well, but he was not convicted of any crime.
The volatile New York market may be less forgiving of a player who faces such misconduct allegations. And the players in the locker room, although committed to winning, may wonder whether the character component that was preached to them applies only to some, not all.
There's a lot at stake in any Jets/Tucker decision, and that has more to do with credibility off the gridiron than on it.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
