Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has defended the team's decision to sign kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad, stating that the veteran has "done his suspension" and is now eligible to play.
Tucker, 36, was suspended for 10 games by the NFL last year for violating the league's personal conduct policy following allegations of sexual misconduct by 16 massage therapists in the Baltimore area during the 2010s. He has consistently denied the allegations and never faced criminal charges. The Baltimore Ravens released him in May 2025, citing a "football decision" after his performance declined.
Having served the suspension during the 2025 season, Tucker is immediately available for selection. Reid said in a news conference on Wednesday: "He's done his suspension, taking care of that business there. I'll leave it at that. We try to do our homework the best way we possibly can and talk to a lot of people, make sure things are OK." When pressed on the nature of that homework, Reid added: "I'm not going to get into all that. To bring him here, I did some homework. He's here and he's on the practice squad, so we roll with it."
A five-time All-Pro, Tucker ranks second in NFL history with a career field-goal percentage of 89.1% across 13 seasons. However, he endured the worst season of his career in 2024, converting just 73.3% of his attempts.
The Chiefs moved for Tucker after a run of poor form by incumbent kicker Harrison Butker, 31, who has the fifth-best accuracy in NFL history at 87.3%. Butker has missed five of his 16 field-goal attempts this season, including two of three in a 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
