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The Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles have been accused of alleged tampering during free agency. The Eagles reportedly violated rules when it came to signing running back Saquon Barkley, and the Falcons allegedly infringed with their signing of quarterback Kirk Cousins.
The NFL has been radio silent in the last few weeks until commissioner Roger Goodell finally addressed the issue on Tuesday. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Goodell said at the league meetings in Orlando that the NFL immediately began looking into the allegations when they came to light.
"Hard at work at it immediately," said Roger Goodell.
Goodell said he doesn't receive updates about investigations until they are complete. Nonetheless, he claimed that an outcome should be reached soon.
NFL's tampering guidelines explained
Every March, a new NFL year begins, which also opens the window to free agency. While free agents can't officially sign new contracts until the new league year begins, there is a two-day window called "legal tampering" that occurs 52 hours before the league year begins.
This year, the legal tampering window opened on Monday, Mar. 11, and free agency officially began on Wednesday, Mar. 13.
During this time, free agents and teams can negotiate contracts, but they won't become official until the official free agency window opens.
Teams are also only allowed to discuss contracts with the players' agents and not the player directly. If a team contacts a player ahead of the legal tampering window or during the NFL season, it is considered illegal tampering and the team could face punishment.
What sanctions could Falcons and Eagles face for tampering?
Quarterback Kirk Cousins stated that he spoke to Atlanta Falcons team officials before the legal tampering period began. Both Falcons team owner Arthur Blank and new head coach Raheem Morris denied the tampering allegations.
Penn State head coach James Franklin mentioned that his former running back, Saquon Barkley, spoke to Eagles general manager Howie Roseman as Philadelphia attempted to sign him. Both scenarios are in violation of the NFL's tampering guidelines.
If the league discovers that Atlanta and Philadelphia both violated the tampering guidelines, the teams could face punishment. According to NFL rules, if a team is found guilty of illegal tampering, the team will lose draft picks and possibly even receive a fine.
