The Miami Dolphins are paying a steep price for what the National Football League described as “impermissible communications with quarterback Tom Brady in 2019-20, along with stunning allegations that former head coach Brian Flores was instructed to intentionally lose games.
The Dolphins were also found to have had impermissible communications with Don Yee, the agent for former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton.
The NFL has stripped some Dolphins draft picks for violating the integrity of game.
Miami had “impermissible communications with QB Tom Brady in 2019-20, while he was under contract to the New England Patriots” per @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/jDo09dHYNw
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) August 2, 2022
The League ruled today that the team engaged in “impermissible communications with quarterback Tom Brady in 2019-20, while he was under contract to the New England Patriots. Those communications began as early as August 2019 and continued throughout the 2019 season and postseason.”
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For this, the Dolphins are losing their first-round selection in 2023, as well as a third-rounder in 2024. Additionally, team owner Stephen Ross will be suspended through October 17 and fined $1.5 million; during his suspension, he won’t be allowed at any team facility or represent the team at any League event. He’s also been removed from all league committees indefinitely.
Additionally, Dolphins vice chairman/limited partner Bruce Beal was fined $500,000.
The NFL heavily penalized the Miami Dolphins today
“The investigators found tampering violations of unprecedented scope and severity,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a memo. “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. Similarly, I know of no prior instance in which ownership was so directly involved in the violations.”
