INDIANAPOLIS — In his first remarks since The Baltimore Banner reported that multiple massage therapists have accused kicker Justin Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta called the allegations “serious and concerning” and said the team would make a decision on Tucker’s future based on the NFL’s investigation into the claims.

“We’ll wait as patiently as we can for as much information as we can, and we’ll make our decisions based on that,” he said at the NFL scouting combine.

Coach John Harbaugh said it saddened and disappointed him to learn of “a circumstance, a situation, especially if it relates to your world, where anybody’s made to feel less than great.”

He added: “We’ve all got questions, but nobody knows exactly what happened, so let’s see where the review takes us.”

Sixteen massage therapists at eight spas have alleged that Tucker engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior during sessions between 2012, his rookie year in Baltimore, and 2016. The allegations include claims that he repeatedly and intentionally exposed his genitals, brushed two therapists with his exposed penis and, in several cases, left what appeared to be ejaculate on the massage table. Two spas said they banned him.

The Ravens had not commented on the allegations to The Banner since their initial statement, when a spokesman said they were aware of the story and Tucker’s response. “We take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation,” he added.

DeCosta and Harbaugh said they first heard of the accusations when they learned The Banner was reporting a story on them last month. The Banner published its first report on allegations against Tucker on Jan. 30, with accounts from six massage therapists at four high-end spas and wellness centers who claimed Tucker engaged in inappropriate behavior.

In recent weeks, the number of women has reached 16 massage therapists at eight spas.

“You don’t want to read about it,” Harbaugh said. “It’s not something you want to see. I don’t care what it is in terms of things that are hurtful and harmful to people — it’s too many headlines like that, too many stories that you hear that just make you sad, disappointed."

After the first story published, the NFL said it would “look into the matter.” While the league has not provided further details, multiple women confirmed to The Banner that NFL investigators came to Baltimore to conduct interviews.

DeCosta said Tuesday he spoke with league representatives who traveled to Baltimore as part of their inquiry.

Tucker published a statement on X hours after the first story published. He categorically denied any wrongdoing, saying the allegations are “false and incredibly hurtful” and calling the story “desperate tabloid fodder.” Tucker has not provided further comment, and his representatives pointed The Banner back to the original statement following new allegations.

DeCosta and Harbaugh said they’ve each spoken with Tucker since The Banner’s first report was published. DeCosta declined to reveal details about their conversation. Harbaugh indicated that he called Tucker earlier this month to ask “how he’s handling it with his family and things like that.”

The NFL’s personal conduct policy allows the league to discipline players for behavior that poses a “genuine danger” to others or “undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL.” The league previously suspended quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was accused of sexual misconduct during massage sessions, for 11 games and fined him $5 million.

When asked about the initial decision to suspend Watson for six games, Harbaugh said “we’re kind of zero tolerance,” referring to remarks made by Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti in 2014 after running back Ray Rice was shown on video punching the woman who is now his wife in an elevator. Ravens team president Sashi Brown said the team’s policy had not changed last offseason after police investigated a domestic assault allegation against wide receiver Zay Flowers. The investigation was closed without charges.

But a team spokesman said after DeCosta and Harbaugh spoke Tuesday that the Ravens “do not have a defined, written, zero-tolerance policy. Each situation stands on its own. Actions will be determined after the facts are known.”

The wording echoed DeCosta’s earlier comments on the policy, when he said that “every case is entirely different — different facts, different situations. So we’ll wait for the investigation to take place and make a decision based off of that.”

Although Tucker is coming off the worst season of his career, finishing with his lowest field goal percentage (73.3%) and second-lowest extra point percentage (96.8%), the 35-year-old has established himself as one of the greatest kickers of all time over his 13-year career.

Tucker holds the record for longest field goal — a 66-yard walk-off field goal against the Detroit Lions in 2021 — and is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, even with his off year.

Once an undrafted rookie, Tucker is a five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s.

He has built outsize fame for his position and has become one of the most recognizable faces on the team. Tucker is known for his opera singing, which won him the title of the NFL’s “Most Valuable Performer” in a talent show televised on CBS in 2018. He has multiple marketing deals but is most well known in the Baltimore area for being the face of the local convenience store chain Royal Farms. Tucker also participates in many of the Ravens’ community events.

Due to his consistency, the Ravens have extended Tucker’s contract multiple times, each time making him the highest-paid kicker at the time of signing. His current contract, signed in 2022, runs through the 2027 season. Next season, he has a cap hit of $7,072,500, with $7,517,700 in dead money (money already paid that the Ravens haven’t accounted for on their cap yet) left on his deal.

Should the Ravens cut Tucker, they would have to designate him a post-June 1 release or else lose $445,000 in 2025 salary cap space. By making him one of the two allowed post-June 1 releases, they would be able to spread his dead-money charge over two years and save $4.2 million against the salary cap.

The Ravens do not have another kicker on their roster, but they could add one through the draft or free agency this offseason.

“Every position’s important,” Harbaugh said. “We’re going to look at every single position, but certainly, different years, you look at different positions. We’re looking at kickers. I mean, we’re looking at a lot of positions. We’re looking at every position, but I’d say the kicker position would’ve been a priority, no matter what, because Justin’s our kicker, we love him, and I always expected him to keep going forever. But nobody goes forever, so we’ve got to look at every position, like we do.”