Chiefs sign Justin Tucker in wake of sexual misconduct allegations as Butker struggles

Tucker was banned under NFL’s conduct policy

Butker has missed five of 16 FG attempts this season

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed the former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad after Harrison Butker’s poor start to the season.

Tucker was widely considered one of the best kickers in NFL history until the Ravens released him in May 2025. The Ravens said his departure was a “football decision” after a slump in form, but the move came months after he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists. Tucker denied the allegations and never faced criminal charges but he served a 10-game NFL ban for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

More than a dozen massage therapists from spas and wellness centers in the Baltimore area accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior. One therapist who spoke to the Baltimore Banner, which broke the story, described Tucker’s alleged behavior as “really degrading”. Another said: “I can’t watch sports anymore. I see his face everywhere.”

The 37-year-old has not played in the NFL since he was released by Baltimore. During his time with the Ravens, he made seven Pro Bowls and won the Super Bowl in his rookie season. His final season in Baltimore, in which he made just 73.3% of his field goals, was statistically the worst of his career. Tucker’s career average for field goals is 89.1%.

On Wednesday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said he was not worried about Tucker joining the team.

“He’s done his suspension, took care of that business there,” Reid said in response to a question about what message the move sent to the team’s female fans. “I’ll leave it at that.”

When asked about Tucker’s past, Reid said: “We try to do our homework the best way we possibly can and talk to a lot of people, make sure things are OK.”

Butker, who has won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs, has missed five of his 16 field goal attempts this season. The 31-year-old Butker has also been involved in off-field controversy. During a commencement address at Benedictine College in 2024, he criticized Pride month, working women, Joe Biden’s leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic and abortion.

“I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic lies told to you,” Butker said during the speech. “Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.”

Reid said Butker had not been “as consistent as he wants” this season.

“We love Harrison,” Reid said. “He’s one of my favorite guys. Sometimes things don’t go quite the way you want them, and you work on that. He understands the business and how it works. He’s struggled a little bit. Butker will get most of the reps this week. We’ll just see where it goes. It’s fluid.”