Realizing the need to upgrade at quarterback this offseason, the Atlanta Falcons crafted an aggressive free agency plan. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot targeted top players and successfully signed Kirk Cousins to the most expensive contract in free agency.
However, the circumstances surrounding Cousins’ four-year, $180 million deal at the start of free agency raised suspicions. During his introductory press conference, Cousins hinted that he and the Falcons might have unintentionally breached the NFL’s anti-tampering policy.
The NFL subsequently launched an investigation into the Falcons’ signings, including those of Darnell Mooney and Charlie Woerner.
The investigation has concluded, and the Falcons are facing penalties, though they are less severe than anticipated. According to Tom Pelissero, the Falcons will lose a 2025 fifth-round pick and be fined $250K.
The NFL is docking the #Falcons a 2025 fifth-round pick for violating the league’s anti-tampering policy with Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney and Charlie Woerner. The team is also being fined $250,000 and GM Terry Fontenot is being fined $50,000.
The violations are considered… pic.twitter.com/fa7cHnHXWu
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 13, 2024
Many question why the Falcons received such a light penalty despite signing the NFL’s top free agent. Pelissero explained that the violations occurred during the legal negotiating window, involving activities like arranging flights after terms were agreed upon, resulting in milder discipline.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noted the implications: if a team can engage in tampering and only lose a fifth-round pick, it might encourage others to adopt a similar approach in future offseasons.
