The Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons could be in hot water. The NFL is reportedly investigating those two teams for “tampering” with pending free agents Saquon Barkley and Kirk Cousins, respectively, before the market officially opened on Wednesday.
What is tampering in the NFL? Let’s run through the technical definition before exploring tampering penalties the league has previously levied.
What Is Tampering in the NFL?
While NFL free agency always kicks off with a 52-hour legal tampering period, there are conditions during that window.
The most crucial stipulation in the league’s bylaws is that teams cannot speak directly with free agents during the legal tampering period unless they represent themselves.
Barkley and Cousins both have agents, so the Eagles and Falcons could be penalized for speaking to them before the new league year officially began on Wednesday.
Penn State head coach James Franklin appeared to spill the beans on impermissible contact between Philadelphia and Barkley, suggesting that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spoke to Barkley before free agency started.
“… But for him now to come back and be able to play within the state in Philadelphia, he said that was one of the first things that Howie said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch to him was not only the Philadelphia Eagles and that, but obviously the connection with Penn State and the fan bases as well,” Franklin said this week.
Meanwhile, Cousins indicated that he’d spoken with Atlanta’s trainer during the tampering window, another rule violation.
Tampering is considered relatively common within NFL circles. Reports of all-but-finalized contracts are rampant during the legal tampering period, but most of the league seems to cast a blind eye.
That could change here, given Barkley and Cousins’ status as high-profile free agents.
The New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings — Barkley and Cousins’ former teams — may believe they can receive compensation if the Eagles or Falcons are found to have tampered.
Examples of Tampering in the NFL
The NFL has handed out punishment for tampering in prior years. The Eagles have been on the other end of tampering accusations on at least two occasions.
In 2023, Philadelphia accused the Arizona Cardinals of tampering with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, whom the Cards ultimately hired as their head coach. The two sides eventually agreed to a settlement in which the Eagles traded the No. 94 pick in the 2023 draft and a 2024 fifth-round selection for the No. 66 pick in 2023.
In 2016, the Kansas City Chiefs were found to have tampered with Eagles free agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin during the previous offseason. Philadelphia didn’t receive compensation from the Chiefs, but K.C. was docked third- and sixth-round picks and fined $250,000. Head coach Andy Reid was fined $75,000, while general manager John Dorsey was fined $25,000.
Perhaps the most notable NFL tampering case involved a player and a coach. In 2022, the league punished the Miami Dolphins for trying to lure then-New England Patriots QB Tom Brady and then-New Orleans Saints head coach to South Beach.
The Dolphins were docked a first-round pick in 2023 and a fourth-round pick in 2024. Owner Stephen Ross was suspended and fined $1.5 million, while Dolphins executive Bruce Beal was fined $500,000 and banned from NFL league meetings in 2022.
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