The NFL suspended former Ravens star Justin Tucker for 10 weeks Thursday, but if a team is desperate for a kicker near the end of the season, he’ll probably get another opportunity.

We’ve seen this act before with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was suspended by the NFL for 11 games in 2022 and fined $5 million after more than 20 women alleged that he committed sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. But Watson eventually signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract with the Cleveland Browns and has remained with the team since.

If another team is in search of a kicker, Tucker, 35, will get another chance. You can bank on it.

The NFL announced Tucker’s punishment for a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy, which requires a six-game minimum suspension. So it’s safe to assume that the NFL found more than enough evidence to suspend him, though it didn’t release its findings publicly.

The league conducted its investigation five months after more than a dozen female massage therapists accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior at several Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. Tucker has maintained his innocence and no known civil lawsuits have been filed.

Tucker, who was released by the Ravens in May, can sign with another team as a free agent and compete for a tryout and play in preseason games. His suspension goes into effect on Aug. 26, and he will be reinstated on Nov. 11.So, as of now, no team will add Tucker and invite a public relations backlash. But if a team with championship aspirations suddenly finds itself with a struggling kicker, it will probably find Tucker’s cellphone number.

During the 2024 season, eight kickers had a lower field goal rate than Tucker’s career-low 73.3% mark. Five made less than 70% of their attempts. The San Francisco 49ers’ Jake Moody led the league with 10 missed field goal attempts, while the Buffalo Bills’ Tyler Bass missed five extra point tries.

You get the picture.

If you can’t, look closer here in Baltimore. The Ravens knew Tucker was going to be suspended, which is why they drafted Arizona’s Tyler Loop in the sixth round and later signed Wyoming’s John Hoyland to a rookie free agent contract.

Neither was extremely impressive in OTAs, and both struggled during the three days that owner Steve Bisciotti attended practices. If both are costing the Ravens games, it wouldn’t be surprising if they re-signed Tucker.

Heck, the Ravens drafted Marshall outside linebacker Mike Green in the second round despite him having two sexual assault allegations against him, one in high school and later at the University of Virginia. They also gambled and signed former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander last week despite the 28-year old having played in just 16 games, including the playoffs, over the past two years because of a series of injuries.

If an owner or a general manager believes they are a player or two away from a possible Super Bowl run, they’ll sign someone like Tucker despite his troubled past. It’s been done many times before in NFL history.

Tucker can still kick. He struggled last season, but look at his overall body of work.

He has scored 1,775 points, a franchise record, and has converted 89.1% of his field goal attempts during his career to make him the most accurate kicker in NFL history.

Some team might be willing to take a chance with the most successful kicker of all time, who was “Mr. Automatic” during his tenure in Baltimore. If circumstances are right, he’ll be back in the NFL again.

In certain situations, kickers are almost as valuable as quarterbacks, especially when the game is in doubt. We might not have seen the last of Justin Tucker.

Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston @baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun.