The Ravens have released veteran kicker Justin Tucker, General Manager Eric DeCosta announced on Monday. "Sometimes football decisions are incredibly difficult, and this is one of those instances," DeCosta said in a statement.

There are undoubtedly football elements to the decision. Tucker is 35 and coming off the worst season of his career. He was one of the highest-paid kickers in the league. By designating him a post-June 1 release, the cash-strapped Ravens will add just over $4 million of salary-cap space in about a month.

Tucker, a five-time All-Pro who has played his entire career with Baltimore, was accused of inappropriate behavior by more than a dozen massage therapists.