Chiefs coach offers brief explanation for signing kicker with misconduct history

The Kansas City Chiefs head coach, Andy Reid, gave a brief explanation for signing kicker Justin Tucker, who was suspended after sexual misconduct allegations. He said, 'He’s done his suspension. Took care of his business there. I’ll leave it at that,' when asked what message the signing of Tucker sent to female fans. When asked about the level of involvement of team ownership in the signing, Reid said, 'We try to do our homework best way we possibly can, and talk to a lot of people, and make sure things are okay.'

On Wednesday, the Chiefs signed Tucker, 37, to their practice squad. This decision was made because Kansas City was looking for competition at the kicking position due to the poor performance of starting kicker Harrison Butker, who has missed five of his 16 field-goal attempts so far this season.

Tucker last played for the Baltimore Ravens during the 2024 season. In January 2025, The Baltimore Banner reported accounts from six women who accused Tucker of nonconsensual sexual behavior during massage therapy sessions between 2012 and 2016, including that he exposed his genitals and brushed women with his exposed penis.

The NFL suspended Tucker for the first 10 weeks of the 2025 NFL season following an investigation into the accusations, but he remained unsigned for the entire season. Earlier this year, Tucker worked out with the Miami Dolphins, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.

When asked about his decision-making process when it comes to signing a player such as Tucker, Reid said, 'I try to do homework on it, see exactly what’s taken place since. He served a suspension, there’s been time involved with it. That’s how I evaluate it.' When asked the kind of homework he did on Tucker, Reid said, 'I’m not going to get into all of that.'

Reporters also asked Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes about the signing Wednesday, and he expressed confidence in the team’s front office. 'We had a lot of people that we’ve added in and out,' Mahomes said, per ESPN. 'I try not to get too high or too low on anything. I know [general manager Brett] Veach [and the front office] do a great job of bringing great players in. But for me, it was about the Denver Broncos and moving on and continuing to get better.' Tucker is second all-time in the NFL in field-goal kicking percentage. He struggled during his final season with the Ravens, however, converting a career-worst 73.3% of his field goals.