Falcons & Eagles Draft Plans Saved as Kirk Cousins & Saquon Barkley Tampering Allegations Remain Undecided

While most teams are in full-throttle mode with the Draft less than two days away, two franchises might be in danger of facing severe penalties from the NFL. Kirk Cousins and Saquon Barkley‘s trade to the Falcons and the Eagles, respectively, grabbed many eyeballs for more reasons than is usual in the league.

Reports of tampering violations emerged soon after Cousins let his meeting with some Atlanta officials slip up during a press conference. Philadelphia, on the other hand, was implicated by Barkley’s former college coach, who unintentionally hinted at a possible meet-up of the running back with the franchise. Both of these contacts fall under the ‘legal tampering period’ of the league that can lead to loss of draft picks.

NFL Insider Adam Schefter recently confirmed the investigations being conducted against the two teams and informed that they might not conclude this week. This means that if the verdict isn’t reached before this year’s draft, the teams’ picks would be unaffected. However, they might still receive fines or penalties in future drafts if found guilty.

This isn’t the first time that teams are facing these charges. Last year, the Miami Dolphins were found guilty of flouting the legal tampering policy thrice between the years of 2019-22. Apart from suffering a fine worth $1.5 million to be paid by the owner, the franchise also lost their first-round 2023 pick and a sixth-round selection in this year’s draft. But what was Cousins’ statement that landed the franchise in trouble?

Kirk Cousins’ press conference slip-up

After the finalization of his trade with the Atlanta Falcons, the quarterback said something during his introductory press conference that got the league’s attention. Cousins unknowingly admitted having directly talked to the team’s head athletic trainer or medical officials, which is prohibited during the legal tampering period of the 52-hour negotiating window.

“There’s great people here,” Cousins said, as per the team’s official press video. “And it’s not just the football team. I mean, I’m looking at the support staff. Meeting — calling, yesterday, calling our head athletic trainer, talking to our head of P.R. I’m thinking, we got good people here. And that’s exciting to be a part of.” Though the Falcons won’t be the first team to ever do that, it is hardly exposed to the public.  Something similar happened with Barkley.

The former Giants RB has the head coach from his alma mater to thank for the tricky situation.  James Franklin from Penn State said that the Eagles’ GM, Howie Roseman, had directly made an offer to Barkley during the legal tampering period. While both franchises have denied the quoted involvement, the league will ultimately declare the final verdict. Moreover, it will be the Falcons who will bear the brunt of the punishment, as Schefter had reported earlier.

As for now, both teams seem to be safe ahead of the upcoming draft. Whether Kirk Cousins’ slip-up cost Atlanta a loss in draft picks in the 2025 NFL Draft or not will only be decided when the results of the league’s investigation come out.