Winners and losers from NFL’s tampering rulings: Falcons avoid major discipline, Giants fans may be sour again

O NFL done decisions on two high-profile tampering investigations Thursday: The Atlanta Falcons were punished for the “inappropriate” dating of new quarterback Kirk Cousins, while the Philadelphia Eagles were cleared of alleged wrongdoing in their signing of running back Saquon Barkley.

So which parties were the real winners and losers from Thursday’s announcements? Let’s review:

Winner: Atlanta Falcons

Wait, seriously? Did the team publicly denounce Cousins ​​for tampering? General manager Terry Fontenot probably isn’t jumping for joy over his $50,000 fine, but consider the bigger picture here: The NFL declared that Atlanta had direct, impermissible contact not only with Cousins, but with two other free agents — wide receiver Darnell Mooney and the tight end with Charlie Woerner – during the pre-free agency negotiation period, which is expressly prohibited. All three players ended up signing with the team. And yet, all the Falcons are missing is a 2025 fifth-round draft pick. As “minimal” as their violations were, allegedly occurring after the players likely agreed to the terms of their contracts through your agents, this is like ordering an ice cream sundae and then being told you just can’t have the icing on the cake. Just two years ago, remember, the Miami Dolphins were stripped of first- and third-round picks (!), and their owner fined them $1.5 million, for allegedly tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton from 2019-2021, and Neither Brady nor Payton even ended up making the team.

That’s not to say the Vikings would have kept Cousins ​​if the Falcons hadn’t improperly communicated with their signal caller during the trade window. By this point, frankly, Minnesota had probably adopted a post-Cousins ​​strategy, preparing for its eventual double dip at quarterback: Sam Darnold in free agency, JJ McCarthy in the draft. But it must sting a little that the Falcons are easily getting away with their violation, especially considering Atlanta also stole a potential first-round quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. It only benefits the “offended clubs” if the teams directly launch an investigation , which is why the league — and not Minnesota, Cousins’ former employer — gets Atlanta’s pick for the violation.

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles moved quickly to lure Saquon Barkley from the rival New York Giants, but it wasn’t until Barkley’s former college coach, Penn State’s James Franklin, wrongly insinuated tampering when discussing the move that the NFL appeared to be interested in a potential infringement. Clear of any wrongdoing, the Birds can now at least avoid excess drama as they enter an already high-pressure season for coach Nick Sirianni and Co. The Eagles’ big bets on former division rivals haven’t always gone well (see : DeMarco Murray ), so erasing an early black mark on the Barkley partnership is a step in the right direction. Now all eyes will be on whether the Pro Bowler will be able to fulfill his great role on the field.

Loser: New York Giants fans

A number of Giants fans had harsh words for Barkley on social media after the former No. 2 overall draft pick was selected by the rival Eagles, even though New York reportedly did not offer the running back a new contract. No doubt it still hurts many Big Blue faithful to see the former Giants star now wearing green. Now, with the Eagles avoiding accusations of tampering, those same fans have missed the last opportunity to poke and prod the intradivisional trade. If the Eagles had been penalized, for example, New York would have had additional fuel for its dislike of Barkley and/or the Birds by keeping the alleged violation of the partnership going into the 2024 season and perhaps beyond. Instead, they’ll simply have to watch Barkley play against them — and watch him do so after a completely legal relocation.