The Atlanta Falcons are currently under investigation by the NFL for allegations of tampering during the free-agency legal tampering period with quarterback Kirk Cousins. While Atlanta landed its franchise quarterback, it may come at a significant cost tied to the Falcons draft picks.
Atlanta made Cousins one of the highest-paid NFL players in March, agreeing to a lucrative contract extension during the legal tampering period then holding an introductory press conference days later. However, it was at that press conference that Cousins opened the door to potential discipline.
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Speaking to reporters, Cousins spent time thanking people both in the Minnesota Vikings’ organization and with the Falcons. While his comments were meant to show appreciation for staffers who helped him in Minnesota and also shed light on his process in choosing Atlanta, he slipped up during it.
Cousins revealed during the press conference, which was documented by records and captured on a live stream, that he spoke with the Falcons’ head athletic trainer before he agreed to a deal with Atlanta. Under NFL rules, team officials are forbidden from directly contacting players during the legal tampering period.
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The NFL immediately launched an investigation into tampering charges against Atlanta. After looking into the matter for more than a month, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Monday that a ruling and discipline for both the Falcons and Philadephia Eagles could be announced this week.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, it doesn’t have much of a case for its defense. Cousins’ public admission that he spoke to the team’s head athletic trainer is an admittance of tampering violations. Both because of the admission and the magnitude of the team illegally tampering with a quarterback, whom Minnesota wanted to re-sign, Atlanta could face significant discipline.
Related: Ruling, potential discipline for Philadelphia Eagles’ tampering imminent
What will the Falcons’ punishment for tampering be?
There are modern examples of the NFL punishing teams for illegal tampering. The Miami Dolphins were stripped of their 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 third-round selection for three instances of illegal contact with Tom Brady and Sean Payton. The Kansas City Chiefs also forfeited a 2016 third-round pick and a 2017 sixth-round pick for tampering with Jeremy Maclin in 2015.
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According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Falcons could be docked a third-round pick for their illegal contact with Cousins this offseason. However, there’s also a possibility that the punishment is even stronger.
While the Falcons haven’t violated tampering rules before, they have been disciplined by the league for other violations. In 2025, the NFL fined the Falcons $350,000 and stripped them of a fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft for pumping fake crowd noise into their stadium. If the NFL factors both the precedent of past tampering punishments and the Falcons’ history of being disciplined under owner Arthur Blank, the discipline for this violation could be closer to what the Dolphins received than the Chiefs.
