UNITED STATES: Following a six-month investigation that found the league’s anti-tampering code had been broken when they attempted to entice quarterback Tom Brandy and his coach Sean Payton to the team, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross has been punished. The N.F.L has revoked two draught picks.
Mary Jo White decided that Ross’s offer to pay the team’s former coach Brian Flores $100,000 for each game the Dolphins lost would improve the team’s standing in the college drafts.
These charges resulted in the Miami Dolphins having to forfeit their first-round draft pick in the 2023 drafts and their third-round pick in the 2024 drafts. Ross’s suspension will be through October 27, and he will not be allowed at any Dolphins’ facilities. He will also be removed from all league committees effective immediately and must pay a fine of $1.5 million.
The league found that the Dolphins had impermissible communications with Brady during the 2019 season and postseason while he was playing for the Patriots. Those communications were said to be “numerous and detailed.” The Dolphins were found to have again had improper contact with Brady and his agent in the 2021 season while he was playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including discussions of Brady’s becoming a partner in the Dolphins.
In a statement, Ross stated, “With regards to tampering, I strongly disagree with the conclusions and the punishment. However, I will accept the outcome because the most important thing is that there be no distractions for our team as we begin an exciting and winning season.”
Miami Dolphins has also been found to have unlawfully attempted to pursue Payton to coach the team earlier in January while he was still the coach of the New Orleans Saints.
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