"False, malicious, and defamatory" - Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross issues stern statement after franchise held guilty of tampering with Tom Brady, Sean Payton

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross came out all guns blazing in the wake of his team being found guilty of inappropriately tampering with Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.

The NFL also announced that the Dolphins will be stripped of their 2023 first-round pick, in addition to a third-round selection in 2024.

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Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross fined

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was subsequently handed a suspension till October 17, 2022. In addition, Ross was also fined $1.5 million.

The NFL's decision comes after a six-month investigation primarily involving team owner Stephen Ross and vice chairman Bruce Beal, who was fined $500,000 for his role in the same.

Ross isn't permitted to attend any team event until October 17 and he also isn't permitted to be at the Dolphins' training facilities or represent the team at any event.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the investigators found the violations to be of "unprecedented scope and severity."

Goodell's statement read:

“I know of no prior instance of a team violating the prohibition on tampering with both a head coach and star player, to the potential detriment of multiple other clubs, over a period of several years. Similarly, I know of no prior instance in which ownership was so directly involved in the violations.”

For his part, Stephen Ross branded the allegations "false, malicious, and defamatory."

The Miami Dolphins owner also stated that while he disagrees with the conclusion of the league's investigation, he will accept the outcome "because the most important thing is that there be no distractions for our team."

The NFL also investigated claims made by former head coach Brian Flores, who had stunningly stated that the franchise intentionally tried to lose games when he was the head coach. The league, however, came to the conclusion that this wasn't the case.

Back in February, Flores filed a lawsuit against the league and the Miami Dolphins, in which he alleged racism in hiring practices. In the same lawsuit, Flores also claimed that the franchise incentivized him to tank with one eye on the draft process.

While the league looked into Flores' allegations, they did not find any evidence of tanking. They did, however, find that Stephen Ross made some comments stating that the team's draft position should take priority over winning. The statement read:

“The comments made by Mr. Ross did not affect Coach Flores’ commitment to win and the Dolphins competed to win every game. Coach Flores is to be commended for not allowing any comment about the relative importance of draft position to affect his commitment to win throughout the season.”