Kicker Justin Tucker’s pledge to not return to the Ravens in 2017 if he’s forced to play 2016 under the franchise tag apparently stems from the Ravens lowering their offer to Tucker as the sides negotiated Thursday, a day before the deadline for signing franchise players to long-term deals.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote Thursday that the Ravens made Tucker “an offer that actually paid him less than their prior offers and less than Mason Crosby of the Packers.”
Crosby signed a four-year, $16 million extension with the Packers in March. He got a signing bonus of $5 million.
Schefter wrote that the Ravens offering Tucker less money than they previously had angered Tucker and killed “hope of progress” on a new deal.
“Justin is disillusioned with the process right now and the Ravens position with him on his contract,” Tucker’s agent, Rob Roche, told ESPN. “If we don’t get a long-term deal done by Friday, Justin will not entertain offers from Ravens after the season.”
If a deal isn’t reached, Tucker will make $4.5 million under the kicker’s franchise tag in 2016. The Ravens tagged Tucker in late February and he signed the tender a week later.
