NY Jets Work Out Former All-Pro Kicker Justin Tucker Amid Past Misconduct Allegations

Tucker’s Workout Follows Success and a 10-Game Suspension

Tucker, 36, is an eight-time All-Pro who was released after the 2024 season, according to reports by The Athletic. Tucker saw a statistical decline in his final year with the Ravens, converting just 73.3 percent of his field goal attempts and missing two extra points. He has not appeared in an NFL game since 2024 and has been out of the league since the Ravens released him in May 2025, per Athletic reporting.

While a free agent, Tucker served a 10-game suspension during the 2025 season for violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The suspension followed accusations of inappropriate behavior during massages shared by 16 massage therapists in the Baltimore area with the Baltimore Banner, detailing incidents dating back to 2012. Tucker did not appeal the suspension, and his agent released a statement in June 2025 noting that the kicker wanted to put the episode behind him and return to the field. Tucker denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations unequivocally false. No legal action was ever taken against him.

Jets Roster Context and Kicker Turnover

The Jets are working through instability at the position following the departure of kicker Nick Folk, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons in March. Throughout the offseason, the organization has signed and released five different kickers, including Lenny Krieg, Will Ferrin, Younghoe Koo, Cade York, and Jason Sanders. Sanders initially won the training camp competition over York, but a missed extra point and a poorly executed field goal attempt in the preseason finale against the New York Giants resulted in his release on Sunday, according to The Athletic. Sanders was subsequently signed to the practice squad on Tuesday.

To address the ongoing vacancy, the Jets claimed Blake Grupe off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts on Monday. Grupe spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the New Orleans Saints before playing five games for Indianapolis in late 2025. Despite working out Tucker, Badgley, and Karty on Wednesday, team sources indicated that no immediate signing is planned, as the franchise intends to give Grupe an opportunity to secure the starting job for Week 1.

Coach Aaron Glenn’s Early Preparation for the Titans

Away from the kicking carousel, Jets coach Aaron Glenn addressed the media on Wednesday regarding the team’s preparation schedule. Glenn noted that while formal game planning for the regular-season opener against the Tennessee Titans will not begin in earnest until next week, he has already begun studying film. “I’ve been looking at it quite a bit,” Glenn said. “Obviously, the first game for a number of coaches is always the shaky one because you just don’t know exactly what you’re going to get.”

Glenn emphasized the importance of foundational schemes over complex adjustments during early-season install periods. “If you’re good with your major concepts, and I’m just a firm believer that your base concepts should be able to be successful against whatever a team brings out, and that’s why I’ve been saying before, I want to make sure our majors, that there’s no gray, in our majors the players know it like the back of their hand,” Glenn said.

Injury Updates During Wednesday Practice

The Jets monitored several players during the media-accessible portion of Wednesday’s practice ahead of official injury reports, which are scheduled to begin next week. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq participated in positional drills while managing a core injury. Meanwhile, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds worked on a side field with trainers for a calf issue alongside tight end Jelani Woods, who is dealing with an unspecified injury. Tight end Jeremy Ruckert watched practice in non-participant attire, joined on the sidelines by running backs Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis, who are managing groin and knee injuries, respectively.

The Jets continue their roster evaluations this week ahead of their season opener.