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#3 - Miami Dolphins tampering violation
A massive rumor was leaked during the 2022 NFL offseason regarding the Miami Dolphins. They were apparently seeking to acquire Tom Brady to take over as their quarterback, while also giving him an ownership share of the team. They were reportedly pursuing Sean Payton to take over as their next head coach as well.
After a six-month investigation into the Dolphins' pursuit of Brady and Payton, it was recently ruled that they illegally tampered with each of them as they were under contract with their current teams at the time. The league suspended owner Stephen Ross and also fined the Dolphins $1.5 million while taking away two draft picks, including a first-rounder and a third-rounder.
#2 - New England Patriots - Deflategate
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was accused of intentionally tampering with game-used footballs. He allegedly deflated several balls prior to the 2014 AFC Championship game when the Patriots faced off against the Indianapolis Colts and came away with a massive 45-7 victory.
Brady was found guilty of being aware of the scheme to deflate the footballs, though it was the equipment manager who apparently performed the act for him upon his request. The Patriots would go on to win the Super Bowl that year, but Brady was suspended for the first four games of the following season. The Patriots were fined $1 million and were forced to surrender two draft picks.
#1 - New Orleans Saints - Bountygate
Bountygate is one of the most scrutinized scandals in NFL history. The New Orleans Saints were found guilty of running a "bounty" program where their defensive players were rewarded for injuring players on opposing teams and eliminating them from games.
The league handed out massive punishments to the Saints after they were found guilty. Head coach Sean Payton, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, general manager Mickey Loomis, and assistant coach Joe Vitt all received lengthy suspensions.
The Saints were also fined $500,000 and forced to forfeit two draft picks. Several Saints players, including defensive captain Jonathan Vilma, also received suspensions, which were later overturned.
