The Eagles will not face punishment following the NFL’s investigation into the Saquon Barkley signing. In the case of the Falcons, however, discipline has been handed down. 
The league announced on Thursday that the team has been docked its 2025 fifth-round pick as result of improper communication with quarterback Kirk Cousins, wideout Darnell Mooney and tight end Charlie Woerner. The Falcons have also been fined $250K and general manager Terry Fontenot will pay a $50K fine.
“While the [Anti-Tampering] 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,” a league statement reads (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).
“This includes discussion of travel arrangements or other logistical matters, which the club acknowledges took place with regard to these three players.”
Indeed, Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero notes communication related to travel took place within the two-day negotiating window for the three players in question. They had already legally agreed to terms by that point, a key factor in the league’s decision to issue a penalty which is lighter than those previously imposed in other circumstances. Still, the fact Atlanta has been disciplined while the Eagles have not falls in line with the previous expectation on the outcome of their respective investigations.
Cousins has publicly stated he spoke with Falcons medical personnel before his deal was official; he also acknowledged that he offered to help recruit Mooney prior to his contract being on the books. Cousins ultimately signed a four-year $180MM contract while Mooney inked a $39MM pact covering the next three seasons. Both players will be key figures in Atlanta’s offense moving forward.
“We are pleased the review is complete,” a Falcons statement reads. “We cooperated fully with the league and its review, and appreciate the NFL’s thoroughness. As we do with every process, we will review how we operate and look for ways to improve.”
As a result of today’s decision, Atlanta will move forward with five 2025 draft picks. The team has its own selection in each of the first four rounds, as well as a seventh-round pick from the Rams. The Falcons are not currently projected to receive any compensatory picks.
That’ll teach em
They really los a 2024 1st and a 2025 5th to be honest.
Last year they gave up a fifth rounder for Jeff Okudah. At least this time they acquired a good player.
Absolutely brutal, I love it.
Buuuuurn
Terry Fontenot couldn’t manage a Burger King
That’s a pretty light punishment for a long investigation.
Not a fan of either the Falcons or Eagles, but have to admit that the NFL swept this under the rug. No penalty for the Eagles, and a slap on the wrist for the Falcons, in a supposed 3 player tampering.
This lack of consistency is why the fans have no faith that the NFL is on the level. Don’t get me started on the officiating.
If you read the article, the tampering was marginal at best. There was some communication, but nothing all that serious.
I’m not sure if Atlanta won the off-season SB; but they certainly won ‘The most headlines for the offseason’ title.
Chiefs did a pretty good job as well
Oh no! Not a fifth!
That’ll teach them. Seriously, seems like a green light to other teams if they’re targeting a top player in free agency. A fifth is nothing if they fill a vital role.
Nfl is a joke lmao and I’m a falcons fan
Yeah, this is not really going to dissuade teams from tampering. If the NFL wants to really stop this, they need to make the punishment a lot more severe. 3 players and all they lose is a 5th rd pick? Cousins alone should have been on the verge of a 3rd rd pick and with the other 2, this should have been a 2nd rd pick. NFL is trending to be a joke like the NBA. Not there yet, but moving that way.
This is Laughable! It was assumed to be this way because Falcons Executive Rich McKay is the disciplinary committee for the NFL. So why hurt your own team. This is much worse than what Miami did and for a fraction of the consequences. Corrupt league.
Imagine finding out your team tampered and then the name they did it for was Darnell Mooney…. Lol.
Big deal! NFL may as well as done nothing as a 5th rounder is a slap on the baby toe. And they calll this discipline????
How come the Dolphins lost a 1st and didn’t even get Brady or Peyton but the Falcons only lost a 5th?
In the article they actually explain this. Maybe give it a read and then comment?
I did read the article; NFL feels like it pulls punishments out of a hat. The Dolphins punishment was too harsh and the Falcons way too light
Just so I’m clear, you think that the Dolphins actively trying to get a player who is under contract with another team in their own division plus contacting a coach who was also still under terms with another team should be treated the same as free agents? The article you read also points out that the Falcons tampering was found to occur during the legal tampering period and after terms had already been agreed to. I’m legitimately curious what you think the punishments should have been in both.
LOL remember when the Vikings thought they would get Atlantas first rounder as compensation… LOL
Never actually happened. Them media did think that.
I stated in a previous article on the subject that the tampering rules seem to make little sense. Putting that aside, I’d like to know why the team is subject to punishment while the player agents (who must clearly know they are in violation of the rules) don’t get so much as a reprimand. Looks like another case of NFL hypocrisy from where I sit.
What a joke of a penalty for a serious violation of the rules that will end up affecting the future of multiple teams who lost the services of their own free agents as a result of Atlanta’s tampering.
So what did the league do to compensate the teams who were deprived of the ability to FAIRLY negotiate to retain the services of their free agent players as a direct result of Atlanta’s violation of league rules? NOTHING !!
What penalty was imposed on the players involved? NOTHING !!
What penalty was imposed on the player’s agents involved? NOTHING !!
What penalty was imposed on the Falcons? REALISTICALLY NOTHING !!
TRANSLATION OF:
“As we do with every process, we will review how we operate and look for ways to improve.”
EQUALS: So we absolutely get away with tampering the next time we do it.
The NFL needs to fix this outdated rule instead of handing down a light penalty.
– Falcons talked to agent
– agreement on contract was made and signed, but not official until tampering period was over
– player spoke with his new team AFTER signing the contract .. as anyone who signed a contract would want to do
The stupid part of all of this is the NFL rule requiring the ‘legal tampering’ penalty to still be in effect if a contract is agreed to by both parties. Just ridiculous.
For those of you who mentioned in other posts that the Vikings should be compensated instead of the pick just being forfeited, I would say this .. the Vikings didn’t lose out on anything with the ‘after the ink dried’ tampering. Nothing. Zilch. They were not impacted in any way as it was already done.
Fix this nuisance language and make the contract allowed to be official during the legal tampering period and add language that once official, it removes the restriction on player contact.
If I’m the GM of a team, I’m definitely tampering next season if there’s a guy I really want.