NFL strips draft pick from Falcons for tampering with Kirk Cousins

NFL

By Justin Tasch

Kirk Cousins is going to cost the Falcons more than the $100 million guaranteed on his contract.

The NFL stripped Atlanta of a 2025 fifth-round pick Thursday morning for violating the league’s tampering policy during its courtship with Cousins.

The team has also been fined $250,000, while general manager Terry Fontenot has been fined $50,000.

The Falcons had “improper contact” with Cousins, wide receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Charlie Woerner during the negotiating period before the official start of free agency, according to the NFL.

“While the policy permits clubs to engage with and negotiate all aspects of an NFL player contract with the certified agent of any prospective unrestricted free agent during the two-day negotiating period, any direct contact between the player and an employee or representative of the club is prohibited,” the NFL said in a statement.

“This includes discussion of travel arrangements or other logistical matters, which the club acknowledges took place with regard to these three players.”

The NFL also concluded a separate tampering probe into the Eagles’ signing of Saquon Barkley and did not find enough evidence to punish them.

Last month, Cousins claimed “there’s not a whole lot there” regarding the tampering probe, but the quarterback himself admitted in March during his introductory press conference that Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts was recruiting him for “a few weeks.”

Cousins, 35, left the Vikings after six seasons to sign a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons.

He was reportedly blindsided, however, when Atlanta stunningly selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“I think you’re reminded again there are things you control and there’s a lot of things you don’t control, and so, let’s deal in reality and recognize that fact and then be a steward and not an owner,” Cousins said last month on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast.

“So I just believe that I’ve got to steward what comes my way and control what I can control, which is what a steward does, but a steward doesn’t worry about that which they can’t control. An owner does … So I just got to steward this and just do kind of what I’ve always done as a player and let the chips fall where they may.”

Mooney, 26, signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Falcons which included $26 million guaranteed following four years with the Bears.

Woerner, also 26, got a three-year, $12 million deal from Atlanta with $6.57 million guaranteed after four seasons with the 49ers.