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Chiefs Bracing for Punishment After New Tampering Allegations

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Tristan Afshar | Last updated Mar 12, 2025 6:46 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs may find themselves in hot water with the NFL after reports surfaced that they, along with the New England Patriots and Washington Commanders, engaged in early negotiations with free agent tackle Ronnie Stanley before the official tampering window opened.

The NFL strictly prohibits teams from speaking directly with unrestricted free agents before the legal tampering period, which was set to begin on March 10. However, Stanley reportedly agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens on March 8—two days early. Now, an insider has suggested that Kansas City and other teams were already in discussions with Stanley before they were permitted to do so.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recently hinted that these teams may have pushed the limits of NFL regulations while discussing Stanley’s contract situation.

“Kansas City was right there with [Baltimore],” Breer said in an interview with NBC Sports Boston. “Kansas City and Baltimore were both at around [$20 million per year]. Washington and New England were both over [$24 million per year]. I'm not sure how far they went. Obviously, this stuff was spoken about conceptually, I guess is the best way to put it. Some free agency may have happened over the weekend.”

NBC Sports’ Phil Perry then raised the question: “This may have been illegal tampering.”

Wow.

The Patriots made a massive offer to Ronnie Stanley over 24 million per year.

They offered huge money to Godwin and also made a big time play to OT Dan Moore Jr, but missed out on all three.

Still searching for a left tackle and WR 1.

Per: @AlbertBreer ,… pic.twitter.com/86oit0Ixp3
— Savage (@SavageSports_) March 11, 2025

Potential Consequences for Kansas City

If found guilty, the Chiefs could face similar punishment to the Atlanta Falcons, who were penalized last offseason for early contact with free agents. Atlanta was fined $250,000, general manager Terry Fontenot was fined $50,000, and the team lost a 2025 fifth-round draft pick.

In more severe cases, the league has issued harsher penalties, such as when the Miami Dolphins lost their 2023 first-round pick and 2024 third-round pick for tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton.

While the NFL has yet to take official action, the Chiefs may need to prepare for potential consequences as the league reviews the situation. If history is any indication, Kansas City could be facing fines, draft pick losses, or other disciplinary measures in the coming weeks.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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