In light of the NFL’s tampering sanctions against the Miami Dolphins, the league is warning other teams to avoid a similar fate when it comes to one potential trade.
The NFL sent out a memo Monday warning teams that a non-certified individual has been contacting clubs about a possible trade for Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith. The league warned that teams that engage the individual will be subject to tampering penalties.
The NFL Management Council sent a memo to clubs, warning them that a person contacting clubs about trading for #Bears LB Roquan Smith isn’t a certified agent and that any contact with a player under contract or his agent without direct written permission is tampering, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 15, 2022
Additionally, the league sent out a pointed warning that tampering penalties are likely to be more severe than they have been in the past for future violations.
“Tampering is a corrosive problem that undermines both the integrity of the game and relationships among clubs. Accordingly, in the event that tampering is found, the Competition Committee has recommended the imposition of more stringent discipline than…imposed in prior years.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 15, 2022
The league already gave a hint about what future penalties may look like based on what was handed to the Miami Dolphins recently.
The Smith issue is an odd one, as the linebacker had demanded a trade and then apparently had someone contacting teams on his behalf. The Bears had not given anyone else permission to speak to Smith’s camp about a trade regardless of whether the representative was authorized or not. In other words, that was a possible trap for a lot of teams, which led to the NFL’s new warning.
