No Resolution Into Eagles & Falcons Tampering Investigation This Week

Both teams have come under scrutiny for the process leading to signing RB Saquon Barkley and QB Kirk Cousins respectively. 

Penn State HC James Franklin mentioned Eagles GM Howie Roseman talked directly with Barkley during the legal tampering period, which isn’t allowed unless the player is their own agent.

“For him now to come back and be able to play within the state, in Philadelphia, he said that was one of the first things that Howie said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch to him was not only the Philadelphia Eagles and that but obviously the connection with Penn State and the fan base as well,” said Franklin, via Tim McManus.

Cousins appeared to admit during his introductory press conference that he had contact with the Falcons’ head athletic trainer before he was allowed to do so. 

“There’s great people here,” Cousins said. “And it’s not just the football team. I mean, I’m looking at the support staff. Meeting — calling, yesterday, our head athletic trainer, talking to our head of P.R., I’m thinking we’ve got good people here. And that’s exciting to be a part of.”

Sources believe the discipline for both teams is expected to involve draft picks and will be harsher for Atlanta than Philadelphia. Ian Rapoport believes that any potential loss of draft picks may not take place until next season.

Last year, the Cardinals and Eagles resolved tampering allegations around the hiring of HC Jonathan Gannon right around this time. The two teams swapped third-round picks with Philadelphia getting the higher selection and also a fifth-round pick this year. 

In the past, the Dolphins have been docked a first-round pick in 2023 and their third-round pick this year for tampering violations involving Tom Brady and Sean Payton. The Chiefs were docked a third and sixth-round pick for tampering with WR Jeremy Maclin in free agency in 2015. Members of both organizations were also fined. 

Barkley, 27, was the second-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was entering the fourth year of a four-year, $31.19 million rookie deal with the Giants that included a $20.767 million signing bonus when the Giants picked up his fifth-year option. 

Barkley’s fifth-year option cost the Giants $7.22 million fully guaranteed for the 2022 season. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023 when he was franchised at a sum of $10.09 million fully guaranteed. 

In 2023, Barkley appeared in 14 games for the Giants and rushed for 962 yards on 247 attempts with six rushing touchdowns to go along with 41 receptions on 60 targets for 280 yards receiving and four touchdowns.

Cousins, 35, is a former fourth-round pick of Washington back in 2012. He played out the final year of his rookie contract before being franchised in back-to-back seasons. 

Cousins later departed in free agency for a three-year, $84 million contract with the Vikings. He was entering the final year of his contract in 2020 when he agreed to a two-year, $66 million contract extension. In 2021, he agreed to a new one-year, $35 million contract extension that was also fully guaranteed.

He was in the final year of that deal in 2023 and was testing the market as an unrestricted free agent when signing with the Falcons this offseason. 

In 2023, Cousins appeared in eight games for the Vikings and completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions.

We’ll have more on tampering allegations against the Eagles and Falcons as the news is available.