Report: NFL Probing Tampering Allegations Surrounding Saquon Barkley, Kirk Cousins Deals
A day after the start of the NFL’s new league year, two of its teams appear already to be in hot water.
The league is looking into allegations of tampering against the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, according to a Thursday morning report from Dan Graziano of ESPN.
Per Graziano, the allegations are related to the Falcons’ and Eagles’ respective signings of quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Saquon Barkley.
[2024 NFL Free Agency: Latest News & Analysis]
In the NFL, teams are allowed to make contact with pending free agents’ representation for a two-day period before free agency actually begins—effectively creating what is often dubbed the “legal tampering period.”
Per a league source, the NFL is looking into potential tampering by the Eagles and the Falcons related to the free-agent signings of Saquon Barkley and Kirk Cousins.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 14, 2024
Its existence, however, has not precluded punishments for tampering in the past. For instance, the Miami Dolphins were heavily penalized in 2022 for past tampering with quarterback Tom Brady.
Barkley and Cousins formally signed their contracts Wednesday: a three-year, $38 million deal for the former and a four-year, $180 million pact for the latter.