The NFL is set to release the results of their investigation on the alleged tampering of the Falcons and the Vikings.
During the 2024 NFL offseason, two moves rocked the entire league. The first was the Atlanta Falcons snatching Kirk Cousins away from the Minnesota Vikings. The other deal that took the league by storm is Saquon Barkley leaving the New York Giants to join rivals Philadelphia Eagles. These were great moves… some may say, too great.
Fans were suspicious of the timings of the moves, as they were done pretty quickly after the offseason officially started. The NFL keyed in on this, and launched an investigation into potential tampering done by the Falcons and Eagles. Now, ESPN reports that after a lengthy investigation, the league is ready to announce its rulings on the case.
“A resolution in the alleged free agent tampering cases of the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles is likely to come this week, per league sources. The Falcons have been investigated for the contact they may or may not have had with then-free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins before he signed with Atlanta. The Eagles have been investigated for the contact they may or may not have had with then-free agent running back Saquon Barkley. The NFL has spoken to various members of both organizations.”
Interestingly, the report also notes that the Falcons seem to be more in trouble than the Eagles.
“One league source indicated that the Falcons' alleged transgressions are considered more significant, and the discipline is expected to be more severe for Atlanta.”
Prior to the start of the free agency period, teams are explicitly forbidden from entering negotiations with opposing players. The NFL is basically looking into whether the Falcons and the Eagles talked with Cousins and Barkley, respectively, before their deals were signed.
NFL's tampering rules
There have been more than a few occasions where a team that tampered with a player or coach has received punished by the NFL. The most recent incident was in 2022. A league investigation revealed that the Miami Dolphins tampered with Tom Brady and/or Sean Payton in three separate occasions. As a result, the league fined the Dolphins ownership and forced them to forfeit their 2023 first-rounder and 2024 third-rounder.
Depending on the severity of the tampering, the Falcons and the Eagles will definitely lose draft picks. The NFL cannot void the contract, but this is going to be the punishment for the tampering. Based on the ESPN report (and the other rumors before today), the Falcons were worse offenders than the Eagles.
The Falcons have had a pretty interesting NFL offseason so far. They signed Cousins to a massive mega-deal… only to draft QB Michael Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL draft. Penix is a great talent, and the Falcons hope that sitting behind Cousins will make him better. Critics of the move argue though that Penix's age makes him a bad choice for a QB to sit out.
As for the Eagles, after years of going with a running back-by-committee approach, they went and signed one of the best running backs in the league. Saquon Barkley running behind Philly's stout offensive line is going to be a sight to behold. The only concern, of course, is injuries: Barkley has been relatively healthy the last two years, but he's had plenty of injuries prior to this year.
