Dolphins docked two picks, owner Ross suspended in NFL’s investigation of tampering

The NFL announced the Dolphins will forfeit two draft picks, and team owner Stephen Ross is suspended through Oct. 17 as a result of the league’s investigation into the team’s violation of the integrity of the game in its pursuit of Tom Brady and Sean Payton.

The league on Tuesday said the Dolphins will be docked their 2023 first-rounder, as well as a third-rounder in the 2024 Draft for making “impermissible communications” with Brady as a member of the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as Payton when he was coach of the New Orleans Saints. The team still holds the 2023 first-round pick it obtained from the San Francisco 49ers.

Dolphins vice chairman Bruce Beal, who has the right of first refusal to purchase the team, has also been banned from all league meetings for the remainder of the season and fined $500,000.

The NFL’s investigation concluded that the Dolphins thrice violated the league’s anti-tampering policy. The investigation found the Dolphins’ prohibited communication with Brady began as early as August 2019 and continued throughout the season and postseason.

Ross, who has also been fined $1.5 million, was accused in a lawsuit from former Dolphins coach Brian Flores of making prohibited contact with a “prominent quarterback” in the winter of 2020. League spokesperson Brian McCarthy told the Miami Herald that while Ross may not be present at the Dolphins’ facility and may not represent the club at any team or NFL event, he is permitted to attend all Dolphins games.

“These numerous and detailed discussions were conducted by Mr. Beal, who in turn kept Mr. Ross and other Dolphins executives informed of his discussions with Mr. Brady,” the league said.

The league found the Dolphins continued their prohibited communication with Brady and his agent during and after the 2021 season when he was with the Buccaneers. The discussions began no later than early December 2021 and “focused on Mr. Brady becoming a limited partner in the Dolphins and possibly serving as a football executive, although at times they also included the possibility of his playing for the Dolphins.” Ross and Beal were involved in these conversations, the investigation concluded.

Brady, who turns 45 Wednesday, announced his retirement from the NFL on February 1 — the same day Flores filed his lawsuit — before announcing his return in March for his 23rd season.

And the investigation found that in January, the Dolphins had prohibited communications with Don Yee, Payton’s agent, regarding Payton becoming the team’s next head coach. The discussions were held before Payton announced his retirement in February and the Dolphins did not seek consent from New Orleans, the investigation concluded. After Payton’s announcement, the Dolphins requested permission to speak with Payton and the Saints declined. General manager Chris Grier told reporters the same at the NFL Combine in March.

The team announced the hiring of first-time head coach Mike McDaniel on February 6 after a month-long search to replace Flores, who was fired January 11.

Neither Brady nor Payton will be disciplined as part of the league’s probe, McCarthy told the Miami Herald.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the Dolphins’ tampering violations were of “unprecedented scope and severity.

“I know of no prior instance of a team violating the prohibition on tampering with both a head coach and star player, to the potential detriment of multiple other clubs, over a period of several years,” Goodell said. “Similarly, I know of no prior instance in which ownership was so directly involved in the violations.”

While the NFL disciplined the Dolphins for multiple cases of tampering, the league’s investigation found the team did not intentionally lose games during the 2019 season, another key point of Flores’ lawsuit.

Regarding Flores’ allegation that Ross offered him $100,000 per loss in 2019, the league’s investigation concluded that “however phrased, such a comment was not intended or taken to be a serious offer, nor was the subject pursued in any respect by Mr. Ross or anyone else at the club.

“Even if made in jest and not intended to be taken seriously, comments suggesting that draft position is more important than winning can be misunderstood,” Goodell said, “and carry with them an unnecessary potential risk to the integrity of the game.”

In a statement, Ross said “the independent investigation cleared our organization on any issues related to tanking and all of Brian Flores’ other allegations. As I have said all along, these allegations were false, malicious and defamatory, and this issue is now put to rest. 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. I will not allow anything to get in the way of that.”

In February, Goodell announced the league would look into Flores’ accusations. The investigation was conducted by former U.S. attorney and SEC Chair Mary Jo White and a team of lawyers from the Debevoise law firm.

“I am thankful that the NFL’s investigator found my factual allegations against Stephen Ross are true,” Flores said in a statement. “At the same time, I am disappointed to learn that the investigator minimized Mr. Ross’s offers and pressure to tank games especially when I wrote and submitted a letter at the time to Dolphins executives documenting my serious concerns regarding this subject at the time which the investigator has in her possession.

“While the investigator found that the Dolphins had engaged in impermissible tampering of ‘unprecedented scope and severity,’ Mr. Ross will avoid any meaningful consequence. There is nothing more important when it comes to the game of football itself than the integrity of the game. When the integrity of the game is called into question, fans suffer, and football suffers.”