Winners and losers. It can be an informative, analytical and even fun framing device whenever notable NFL (or fill-in-the-blank sport) news occurs. Whether it’s the aftermath of a big game, trade, draft, you name it – there are typically two sides of a coin to examine.
That wasn’t the case Thursday, when the league issued its 10-week suspension to former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, whose banishment will take effect Aug. 26 – whether or not the free agent is employed by then.
And, yeah, some rookie you've never heard of is going to benefit from the fact that Baltimore had already cut ties with Tucker, creating an open job to compete for in training camp. But there are no winners from this sad saga. There are most definitely losers, though, and they are as follows:
Duh. On the one hand, he ought to be grateful the NFL’s announcement was, per usual, devoid of details regarding his violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. And unlike the penalty the league levied against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson three years ago, in what can only be described as similar circumstances − at the time, 24 women had filed civil suits against him involving allegations of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions − Tucker has not been fined nor ordered to undergo treatment or an evaluation. Watson was and had to pay $5 million.
