NFL's 'legal tampering' explained

By Bruce Ewing | Last updated Mar 11, 2023 10:44 AM ET

Only a league that asks its players to "survive the ground" after "making a football move" could coin a phrase like "legal tampering." Here’s what it means in the NFL.

Legal tampering is a two-day period before the start of the NFL league year in which NFL teams may negotiate "all aspects of an NFL player contract" with agents of prospective free agents.

Both sides may exchange numbers, but nothing is official. Agreements cannot be made or announced before the start of free agency at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

So where’s the "tampering"? Technically, NFL contracts don’t really expire until the start of the league year. That’s why players can only speak or visit with their most recent team during the legal tampering period. If a player has interest in another team, all communications must be handled by the agent.

It’s important to note that legal tampering applies only to unrestricted free agents. Agents for restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents can’t discuss contracts until free agency begins.

The process can be exciting, but it’s not without flaws. Last offseason, Dallas seemed to have a deal to bring back defensive end Randy Gregory on a five-year, $70 million contract after the legal tampering period. But with nothing official, Gregory reconsidered and signed with the Denver Broncos instead.

Of course, teams that don’t play by the rules could lose more than a 242-pound defensive end. The Kansas City Chiefs lost two draft picks and $350,000 for negotiations with Jeremy Maclin in 2015-16, and the Miami Dolphins were fined $1.5 million and docked first and third-round picks for tampering with Sean Payton and Tom Brady in 2022.

As oxymoronic as it sounds, the legal tampering period is a fairly simple concept.

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