The Atlanta Falcons tampering case against then-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has finally come to an end, and the NFC South team will pay heavily for it.
It appears that the league found wrongdoing on Atlanta’s part.
The NFL levied penalties against the Falcons, docking them a fifth-round pick and imposing hundreds of thousands in fines. The league stated that the Falcons violated the league’s anti-tampering policy with not only Kirk Cousins but also Darnell Mooney and Charlie Werner.
In addition to the draft pick, the team was fined $250,000, and general manager Terry Fontenot was 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,” wrote Pelissero for NFL Network. “This includes discussion of travel arrangements or other logistical matters, which the club acknowledges took place with regard to these three players.”
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This entire investigation started after Kirk Cousins seemingly admitted that the Atlanta Falcons had direct contact with him prior to the official start of free agency.
This could’ve been a lot worse since the Falcons were said to have tampered with three players and seems extremely low on the punishment side and will likely not deter other teams from doing it in the future.
Atlanta Falcons Lured Kirk Cousins Away From Minnesota & Still Took A QB In The First Round
The Atlanta Falcons lured Cousins away from the Minnesota Vikings by giving him a four-year, $180 million contract on Day 1 of free agency, and many thought he would be their quarterback of the future despite his advanced age.
The Atlanta Falcons pulled off a major stunner at the NFL Draft when they selected Michael Penix Jr. as the future and didn’t bother to tell Cousins they were doing so. The pick came just weeks after they signed Cousins.
