FINALLY: NFL officially clears Philadelphia Eagles of tampering allegation on Saquon Barkley signing.
The NFL said on Thursday that there was not enough evidence of tampering to support the Philadelphia Eagles’ decision to sign running back Saquon Barkley. After Barkley inked a new three-year contract with the Eagles, the NFL opened an investigation into a possible anti-tampering policy infraction.
The league examined text messages, phone logs, and other records pertaining to the Philadelphia Eagles’ free agency period in order to conduct the inquiry. A number of Eagles players, including Barkley, head coach Nick Sirianni, and general manager Howie Roseman, were also interviewed by the NFL. James Franklin, the head coach of Penn State, also took part in the interview.
The league reserves the right, should fresh information come to light in the future, to renew the investigation into possible tampering. The former first-round pick signed a $37.75 million contract with a $26 million guarantee when he departed the Giants to join the NFC East rivals.
Being selected second overall by the New York Giants in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Penn State, Barkley was an immediate impact player. This included playing in two Pro Bowls and winning the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Barkley ran for 962 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games during the previous season. In addition, he caught 41 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
This summer, Barkley’s big contract with the Eagles is not the only signing that will be scrutinized. The NFL also started looking into Kirk Cousins’ agreement with the Atlanta Falcons. NFL insider Tom Pelissero claims that the league has discovered enough proof of tampering. The NFL will now deduct a 2025 fifth-round draft pick from the Falcons due to the infraction. Additionally, Terry Fontenot, the general manager, now owes $50,000, and Atlanta is also assessed a $250,000 punishment.
The league maintains that the Falcons’ breaches, in spite of the fines and forfeited draft selection, are related to the team’s booking of players’ travel after they had agreed to terms but hadn’t signed. The Falcons were not found to have contacted Cousins prior to the talks.
