Chiefs Sign Kicker Justin Tucker To Practice Squad After Messaging Therapists Scandal

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad after being out of the league since 2024.

The move likely aims to provide a backup in case starter and longtime Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gets injured or his poor season continues.

Tucker last played for the Ravens, where he spent his entire career until the team released him in May 2025. The decision ended his 13 years with the team after Tucker was accused of sexual misconduct by spa and messaging therapists. There were 16 allegations, and Tucker has denied them, calling them “unequivocally false.”

The NFL suspended Tucker for 10 games over the allegations.

Controversy on the Chiefs’ special teams unit is nothing new. Butker faced controversy for some comments he made calling a woman’s primary role the “homemaker.” The Chiefs also signed punter Matt Araiza, who faced serious assault allegations when he entered the league with the Bills. The league dropped all of Araiza’s charges and lawsuits.

Tucker, 37, is widely regarded as one of, if not the greatest, kickers ever. In his prime, he was essentially automatic from any distance. He was the highest-paid kicker of all time when the Ravens released him.

In his later years in Baltimore, his level had certainly dipped, and he began missing some uncharacteristic kicks. He posted just a 73.3% rate in 2024, the worst of his career. He ranked 31st in the NFL.

Butker is currently the only starting kicker on the 53-man roster. Tucker still has high upside if Butker goes down with an injury, but it doesn’t seem likely that a continued poor start would be enough for the team to bail on Butker and take a chance on Tucker after his most recent season. The Chiefs are 5-1 even with Butker’s struggles.