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Kirk Cousins was one of the most important players to keep a close eye on during the 2024 NFL offseason. His contract with the Minnesota Vikings officially expired, making him an unrestricted free agent. Many believed that he would eventually sign a new deal with the team, but he chose to join the Atlanta Falcons instead.
While the franchise can be praised for quickly finding themselves the new quarterback that they clearly needed, they may have done so illegally. Their negotiations ahead of the 2024 NFL free agency were reportedly in violation of the NFL's official tampering policy, according to NBC Sports.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank apparently disagrees with the rumor that tampering was involved in their acquisition of Kirk Cousins. He recently provided a statement to ESPN disputing the claim.
Blank said:
"The tampering deal, we obviously don't believe we tampered, and we shared all of the information with the league. They'll review the process and the facts, and they are in the middle of doing that, and whatever the result is, we'll deal with it."
According to the report by NBC Sports, it was Kirk Cousins himself who admitted to a tampering violation. He directly said during his introductory press conference that he spoke with the Falcons' atheltic trainer prior to the free agency window opening and also suggested that he talked to their director of player personnel as well.
Taking things even furher, Cousins admitted that he recruited Darnell Mooney to Atlanta, prior to the free agency period opening. This would suggest that he already knew that he was joining the Falcons, before he was even permitted to begin negotiating a deal. If the NFL determines this to be true, the franchise is in line to be penalized.
How much could Falcons be fined for tampering with Kirk Cousins in free agency?
If the Atlanta Falcons are found guilty of tampering with Kirk Cousins, they are likely to be fined by the NFL. How much they are fined and other potential penalties will be determined by how serious the tampering was. It is generally a case by case, with violators often being given some combination of fines, submitted draft picks and potential suspensions.
In recent years, fines have varied widely between $25,000 and $1,500,000 for various tampering violations. It may also include suspensions for owners and team executives ruled to be directly involved, and could force the franchise to surrender draft picks. Which of these penalties, if any at all, is at the discretion of the NFL's investigation.
NFL teams that were earlier fined for free agency tampering
One of the biggest cases of tampering was revealed in 2022 when the Miami Dolphins were hit with a massive penalty. They were found guilty of attempting to recruit Tom Brady and Sean Payton across several years, despite them being under contract with other teams. Owner Stephen Ross was suspended and fined $1.5 million, while being forced to surrender two draft picks, including a first-rounder.
Another recent example occurred in 2016 when the Kansas City Chiefs tampered with Jeremy Maclin. The franchise was fined $250,000 and also had to surrender two draft picks. Additionally, Andy Reid and John Dorsey were fined a combined $100,000 for their roles in the violation. These penalties may be referenced if the Falcons are found guilty of tampering with Cousins this year.
