Kirk Cousins was officially introduced as the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday, and some candid remarks he made could potentially lead to disciplinary action for his new team.
The legal tampering period for NFL free agents began on Monday at 12 p.m. EST and lasted until the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. EST Wednesday. During that period, certified agents are allowed to enter into negotiations with teams. Players are not permitted to speak directly with representatives from teams that are interested in signing them until the new league year begins.
During his introductory press conference, Cousins admitted that he had direct contact with members of the Falcons organization on Tuesday.
“There’s great people here,” Cousins told reporters, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “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.”
Cousins also revealed that Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts began recruiting him “weeks” ago, which the NFL typically views as less of an issue.
Everyone knows that agents start negotiating with teams before the legal tampering period begins. Otherwise, there is no possible way contracts like the massive one Cousins agreed to with the Falcons could come together so quickly. There is a certain “don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality that exists across the league. The mistake Cousins made was openly admitting that the Falcons violated the rules.
It is possible the NFL will let it go. But Florio notes that the Kansas City Chiefs lost a third-round draft pick for speaking directly to receiver Jeremy Maclin during the legal tampering period years ago, so there is precedent for disciplinary action. If the Minnesota Vikings push the issue, the NFL may have no choice but to act.
