Atlanta Falcons Fined for Tampering With Kirk Cousins and Will Lose Draft Pick

What Teams CANNOT do is communicate with players directly during the legal tampering period — all contact must go through the player’s agent. If a franchise wants to meet with a player or speak with him directly, they legally can’t. They must wait until free agency is officially underway.

So then, if the NFL finds out that a team has started negotiating prior to the legal tampering period or contacted a player too early. The NFL has the right and authority to take action. They can choose to punish the organization in the form of fines or even removal of draft picks. Which is what has occurred with the Falcons.

Atlanta Falcons Fined for Tampering With Kirk Cousins and Will Lose Draft Pick

As one can see, the league does not allow tampering to slide. If you get caught, they will investigate. When you think of the Falcons and Kirk situation; it’s easy to see why the NFL had to take a deeper look into what did or did not occur. Especially, since Cousins revealed that more than one violation had taken place. Yahoo Sports mentions,

“During a press conference conducted only a few hours after the official start of free agency, Cousins admitted to as many as four different tampering violations that happened during the 52-hour negotiating window, when the Falcons were permitted by rule to speak only to Cousins’s agent.”

Therefore, given this information what did the National Football League decide? ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports,

NFL ruled the Falcons had improper contact with prospective unrestricted free agents Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney, and Charlie Woerner during the two-day negotiating period prior to the start of the 2024 League Year. Atlanta will forfeit its original fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and pay a fine of $250,000, while General Manager Terry Fontenot has been fined $50,000. While the policy permits clubs to engage with and negotiate all aspects of an NFL player contract with the certified agent of any prospective unrestricted free agent during the two-day negotiating period, any direct contact between the player and an employee or representative of the club is prohibited. This includes discussion of travel arrangements or other logistical matters, which the club acknowledges took place with regard to these three players.

NFL Declares Atlanta Falcons Tampered with Kirk Cousins and Two Others

Therefore, it looks as though some direct contact occurred. Which is not allowed. But this does not seem to be about contracts (a big no-no); but over travel arrangements, smaller logistics and what not.

Not cool. But not the worst thing to ever happen in sports. However, the Atlanta Falcons are happy that the investigation is now coming to a close and they can finally move on. In a brief statement about the tampering case they state,

“We are pleased this review is complete. We cooperated fully with the league and its review, and appreciate the NFL’s thoroughness. As we do with every process, we will review how we operate and look for ways to improve.”

Yes, the NFL attempts to keep things fair. Since allowing an organization to have a competitive edge takes the fun right out of the game. However, one would assume that all teams watch reviews like Atlanta’s with a keen eye.

Seeing if the Falcons get a slap on the wrist or not. Will this decision encourage copycats? It could. However, the NFL already knows it has a tampering problem. Hence, the legal window that’s now in place.

NFL Punishes Falcons for Tampering

So then, all the league can do is try. Try to regulate. Try to police and keep track of teams’ movements.

It is not an easy task. And it can be upsetting to fans to see differing punishments. However, the “system” is basically working. If there’s enough evidence, teams are not going scott-free.

Think about it. Just three months after signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million contract at the start of 2024 NFL free agency. The Falcons are now having to pay a fine. And lose a draft pick. That’s some fast acting work on the part of the NFL.

So hopefully teams and players learn it’s just better to follow the rules. To do things right. Avoid the ‘scandal.’ Regardless how big or small the rule is to follow.

Doing so allows fans to focus on the more exciting parts of the game. The real entertainment. What happens on the field. Instead of what occurs behind the scenes.