The Chiefs’ decision to bring Justin Tucker onto the practice squad has drawn a sharp response, and Candace Buckner of The Athletic made the point in no uncertain terms.
Buckner’s opinion piece, titled “Stop asking NFL men about forgiveness of alleged criminal acts. They have nothing to say,” took aim at the familiar way teams and coaches are asked to explain these kinds of moves. In her view, those questions are “mortifying,” especially when they’re directed at women.
She zeroed in on Andy Reid’s handling of the issue, reframing the usual line of questioning as asking Reid “why he keeps giving creeps second chances” in the context of Tucker’s signing. Tucker was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by 16 massage therapists, according to the Baltimore Banner, with the allegations including exposing his genitals and leaving a wet spot on the sheets after ejaculating after treatments.
Tucker was suspended for 10 games, and that punishment appears to have been enough for the NFL, Reid, and the Chiefs to move forward with the signing. Kansas City made the move after Harrison Butker had made only 11 of 16 field goals this season, and Buckner described Tucker as now having a job “in the heartland’s version of a football halfway house.”
Buckner also took a swipe at Reid himself, calling him “Mr. Kool-Aid with a walrus mustache meets fun-loving football genius.”
From there, she pointed to the business side of the situation, saying the suspension and the “business” that came with it presumably includes some mix of an apology and a large amount of cash settlements. She also referenced other similar signings, but made clear the Chiefs were the main focus of her criticism.
Buckner even connected the issue to the financial boost Kansas City has received from Taylor Swift’s presence as a Chiefs fan, tied in large part to her romance and marriage to tight end Travis Kelce.
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