Falcons lose draft pick, fined by NFL for tampering during Kirk Cousins pursuit

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell joins Colin Cowherd to discuss how now-Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins helped him "become the coach [he] is today."

The four-year contract Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons earlier this offseason includes an estimated $100 million in guarantees, but that's not all the franchise will be paying for.

An NFL investigation determined that the Falcons violated the league's tampering policy during its pursuit of then-free agent quarterback as well as wide receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Charlie Woerner.

On Thursday, the league announced that Atlanta would lose a fifth-round pick in the 2025 draft. The team will also be fined $250,000. Cousins agreed to the $180 million deal shortly after the NFL's 52-hour legal tampering window opened on March 11.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) looks on from the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan, on Sunday, January 7, 2024.  (Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Woerner agreed to a three-year deal on the same day. Mooney then agreed to a $39 million, three-year deal just one day later.

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It is not uncommon for NFL teams and players to come to terms on contracts during the legal tampering window, and then formally sign deals once the free agency period officially opens. While Cousins was not the first player to agree to a deal in March, he did make comments during his introductory news conference that raised some eyebrows and seemingly sparked the NFL's investigation.

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