Will the Atlanta Falcons be punished for allegedly tampering with Kirk Cousins before the 35-year-old quarterback signed his four-year contract in March? According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL is continuing its investigation into the matter and “could reach a conclusion as early as this week.”
“Sources believe the discipline, which is likely to involve draft picks, is expected to be more severe for the Falcons,” Schefter wrote Monday, noting that the Eagles are also under investigation for alleged tampering with former Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
What could the penalty on Atlanta be and could the punishment benefit the Vikings?
After the league found the Dolphins to have tampered with Tom Brady and Sean Payton from 2019 to 2022, the league stripped Miami of its 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick. Fines were also levied against the team’s owner and an executive.
When the league found the Chiefs to have tampered with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in 2015, the penalty was the Chiefs losing a 2016 third-round pick and a 2017 sixth-round pick along with fines for the team, GM and head coach.
Cousins agreed to a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons just 90 minutes into the NFL’s two-day legal negotiating window in March. Two days later at his introductory press conference Cousins admitted that he had contact with Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts and a Falcons trainer before the league’s new year began at 3 p.m. on March 13, which is the definition of tampering.
Earlier this month, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested the possibility of Minnesota and Atlanta swapping first-round picks this year. The Vikings have No. 11 (and 23 from a trade with Houston) and Atlanta is set to go on the clock with the eighth pick Thursday night.
Just last year the Cardinals were forced to swap third-round picks with the Eagles (dropping down 28 spots) for impermissible contact with Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who became Arizona’s head coach.
We’ll see what happens, possibly as soon as this week.
