Ravens mum after latest wave of Justin Tucker allegations

Over the weekend, a fresh wave of allegations emerged regarding Ravens kicker Justin Tucker. The total number of individuals accusing him of inappropriate behavior during massage-therapy sessions has reached 16. Tucker has previously issued a strong and total denial.

The Ravens issued a statement last month, when the initial set of allegations was reported by The Baltimore Banner. Since then, the Ravens have said nothing.

Before the latest addition of seven accusers, the Ravens potentially were hoping to wait until the start of the new league year in March before parting ways with Tucker. This approach would reduce the 2025 dead-money charge from $7.5175 million to $2.8725 million, pushing the remainder to 2026.

But nothing prevents the Ravens from announcing their intentions before that. The Jets did it last week with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, telling the world that they'll be moving on. The official transaction will occur when the new league year begins and the 2025 cap charge falls from $49 million to $14 million.

Right or wrong, true or false, it's difficult for the average, reasonable person to regard 16 total claims as embellished, baseless, or fabricated. And since the Ravens' customer base consists of thousands of average, reasonable people, the P.R. ramifications of doing and saying nothing can't be ignored.

Especially in light of coach John Harbaugh’s comments after the NFL suspended Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for the same kind of behavior.

On one hand, the allegations haven't been fully investigated. There's a chance none will ever be proven in a court of law, especially since no lawsuits have been filed.

On the other hand, the total list of accusers has reached 16.

Even if the Ravens are being prudent, they're on notice. The total number is too large to ignore, pending the conclusion of the league's investigation.

And while silence keeps the news cycle from acquiring more oxygen, there's a point at which silence becomes conspicuous. Eventually, the silence could be deafening.