Report: NFL could Drop Hammer on Falcons for Kirk Cousins Tampering

A recent report from Adam Schefter indicates the Atlanta Falcons won't walk away from Kirk Cousins tampering charges unscathed.

Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Falcons have been charged with tampering for their involvement in signing quarterback Kirk Cousins as a free agent from the Minnesota Vikings.

The Falcons denied any wrongdoing from the outset. New head coach Raheem Morris and owner Arthur Blank weighed in shortly after news of the charges broke.

"I'm not allowed to really discuss it right now while it's under review, but I got a lot of confidence in our people that we did the right thing," Morris said at the NFL's annual meetings.

Owner Arthur Blank expressed a similar sentiment, although he added that he will accept the results of the investigation no matter what they hold.

"The tampering deal, we obviously don't believe we tampered, and we shared all the information with the league," Blank said per ESPN's Michael Rothstein. "And they'll review the process and the facts and they are in the middle of doing that, and whatever the result is, we'll deal with it."

On Monday, NFL insider Adam Schefter indicated that the punishment against the Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles could be doled out this week.

And it doesn't look good for the Falcons.

"The NFL's investigation into alleged tampering charges against the Falcons for their involvement with then-free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Eagles for their involvement with then-free-agent running back Saquon Barkley is ongoing and could reach a conclusion as early as this week, per sources," wrote Schefter on ESPN+. "Sources believe the discipline, which is likely to involve draft picks, is expected to be more severe for the Falcons."

Schefter included two recent punishments teams received for tampering.

"The Dolphins forfeited their 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 third-round selection for tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton on three occasions from 2019 to 2022," wrote Schefter. "The Chiefs forfeited their 2016 third-round pick and a 2017 sixth-round selection for tampering with Jeremy Maclin in 2015."

In both cases, the punishment came the year after the wrongdoing. The Dolphins tampering charges were also part of a racial-discrimination lawsuit filed by former head coach Brian Flores.

In the examples Schefter the NFL levied punishment against the teams. In those cases, if and when the Falcons punishment is announced, it doesn't appear that this week's draft will be affected.

However last year, the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals avoided an NFL verdict by agreeing to a pick swap before the NFL Draft.

"The teams released a statement prior to the start of the draft, stating that the Eagles will receive the No. 66 pick (third round) in 2023 from Arizona in exchange for the No. 94 overall pick (third round) in 2023 and a 2024 fifth-round pick," wrote Eagles Today.

Kirk Cousins will have a salary-cap hit of $25 million this year and $40 million next year according to Spotrac. However, depending on the severity of the Falcons' punishment, the cost for acquiring Cousins appears to be going up.