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Ravens' Justin Tucker faces sexual misconduct allegations; kicker slams report

Baltimore Ravens star kicker Justin Tucker was accused in a bombshell report Thursday of sexual misconduct by several massage therapists during a period spanning four years, including his rookie season, when he helped the team win a Super Bowl. 

Six massage therapists in the Baltimore area accused the NFL kicker of exposing himself during sessions at four different high-end spas and wellness centers, brushing the alleged victims with his genitals and other acts of alleged sexual misconduct from 2012-2016.

The allegations were first revealed in a report by The Baltimore Banner.

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Tucker released a statement through his attorneys Thursday not long after the news broke, calling the allegations "unequivocally false."

"Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I have always sought to conduct myself with the utmost professionalism. I have never before been accused of misconduct of any kind, and I have never been accused of acting inappropriately in front of a massage therapist or during a massage therapy session or during other bodywork," Tucker’s statement said. 

"I have never received any complaints from a massage therapist, have never been dismissed from a massage therapy or bodywork session and have never been told that I was not welcome at any spa or other place of business." 

Tucker, a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro during his 13-year NFL career, took aim at the outlet’s reporting, calling it "desperate tabloid fodder." 

RAVENS STAR KICKER JUSTIN TUCKER SAYS STEELERS' FIELD CONDITIONS WEREN'T 'IDEAL' AFTER SHAKY PERFORMANCE

"It is no surprise that the paper’s interactions with me were marked by journalistic failures at every turn," Turner said. "When I first learned that the newspaper was writing this article, they refused to reveal the full claims they were planning to make against me. 

"It wasn’t until I was forced to hire the leading defamation law firm in the U.S. to write to the paper that they finally revealed what they were planning on writing. Then, when they did finally provide some of this information, they gave me next to no time to provide a response. It is clear why. They had no interest in what I (or anyone else) had to say." 

Tucker accused the outlet of "deliberately misconstruing events as nefarious" and relying on "third-party speculation."

"The newspaper had already written this false, salacious profile well before ever attempting to speak to me or any of the bodywork professionals I have worked with closely for the better part of the last decade. The newspaper made no effort to interview these key witnesses until prompted to do so by my defamation attorney because they did not want to hear what they had to say about me."

The Baltimore Banner told Fox News Digital in response to Tucker's remarks, "We stand by our story as published."

According to the report, the accusers said they ended sessions early or refuse to work with Tucker again because of the allegations. The report also says Tucker was banned from returning to two of those spas, a claim Tucker’s legal team denied. 

Among the allegations leveled in the report, five women claimed the NFL player was erect during sessions with him and that he fully or partially exposed himself, while others made other accusations of egregious acts.  

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the NFL said it learned of the accusations from the reporter investigating the story and that allegations were not previously reported to the league. 

"We take any allegation seriously and will look into the matter," the statement continued. 

The Ravens told Fox News Digital, "We are aware of The Baltimore Banner’s story regarding Justin Tucker. We take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation." 

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Steelers' George Pickens makes stunning remark after playoff loss vs Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday night in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens, 28-14.

The Steelers came alive in the third quarter with two Russell Wilson touchdown passes to make the game interesting as Ravens running back Derrick Henry ran all over the Pittsburgh defense. Outside those two touchdowns, the Steelers couldn’t generate any offense.

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Baltimore outgained Pittsburgh 464 yards to 280, with each team having nine drives in the game.

George Pickens, the Steelers wide receiver who has been very outspoken about his team’s performances in recent weeks, had one more jab for the offense.

"Yeah, I’ve seen signs of growth, for sure," Pickens said when asked about the offense, via Pro Football Talk. "From past – first year I’ve been here, just way more growth, for sure."

But did that make him optimistic for the future?

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"Uh, nah," he said.

He didn’t elaborate on the comments. He led the team with five catches for 87 yards and caught one of Wilson’s touchdown passes.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin put the blame on his shoulders. The loss made it six straight in the postseason.

"I’m just assessing what transpired tonight," Tomlin said. "As I told you guys earlier in the week, those are my bags, not this collective’s bags. And so my energy is on that group in there and what they were willing to give and the journey that we’ve been on this year, and certainly it came to a disappointing end tonight."

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Ravens' Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry refuse to eat Netflix football cake in awkward moment

Baltimore Ravens stars Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry put on a show Wednesday night as the team trounced the Houston Texans, 31-2.

Jackson had two touchdown passes and broke Michael Vick’s career rushing record for a quarterback as he scampered for 87 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown run. Henry added 147 yards on the ground and a touchdown for himself.

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Jackson and Henry were interviewed by Jamie Erdahl after the game, and had an opportunity to eat a Netflix cake. But they didn’t appear to be interested.

"Red velvet?" Jackson asked.

Erdahl asked Jackson if he wanted to try it and the quarterback said, "Nah."

Henry tried to get him to eat it, but the star quarterback wasn’t having any of it. Instead, Erdahl had a bite of the cake. She said it was "delicious" and tried to get the two players to join her.

"I’m good," Henry said.

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"I need to eat real food, then dessert," Jackson added.

The win appeared to just be an appetizer for the two NFL greats.

Baltimore took control of the AFC North division with the win over the Texans. They held a one-game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers after their rival lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the first game that was broadcast on Netflix earlier in the day.

Jackson now has 6,110 rushing yards – one more than Vick.

"It’s just another phenomenal performance," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said after the game. "He set the all-time NFL record for rushing yards (for a quarterback) in pro football. That kind of speaks for itself. It’s just kind of what he does every week."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ravens coach John Harbaugh shares powerful Christmas message after clinching playoff berth

The Baltimore Ravens clinched a playoff berth with their victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, but head coach John Harbaugh had an important message to share before he addressed the team’s success on the field. 

Speaking to reporters after the 34-17 victory, Harbaugh began with something he said was "important" to him and many people around the world. And that was to acknowledge the spirit of Christmas.

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"I read this to the team in our postgame prayer and it's this – this is Mary. Mary, the mother of God, said this when she was with Elizabeth. She said this, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.’ So, I just want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas, happy holiday season, and rejoice," he said. 

"Rejoice. Rejoice in life. Rejoice in your circumstances. Rejoice in the tough games. Rejoice in the losses. Rejoice in the wins like we’re blessed to do today as a football team, and just rejoice in the people that you love, the people that are close to you. Rejoice. We aren’t here on this Earth to worry about every little thing and spar with one another. We’re here to rejoice in one another and with one another and love one another. Let’s try to remember that this week. This is a big football week – it’s also a big life week. It’s a big spiritual week."  

The Ravens will return on a short week to play the Houston Texans on Christmas Day.

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The game comes after a big win over division rival Pittsburgh in what could’ve meant the Steelers clinching the division title with a win. Instead, the Steelers and Ravens are now deadlocked. 

"I feel like we've been busting our behind all season long, had ups and downs throughout this whole season, but to clinch a playoff against a great team like that, that's great," quarterback Lamar Jackson said. "That means we're moving in the right direction."

Jackson improved to 2-4 against the Steelers as a starter and recorded his NFL-leading 37th touchdown. 

The Steelers will also play Christmas day against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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