Falcons might already regret signing Kirk Cousins after recent news

The NFL is reportedly looking into possible tampering violations made by the Atlanta Falcons during their efforts to sign former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins hasn't even been an official member of the Atlanta Falcons for 24 hours yet, but he might have already gotten his new team into a bunch of trouble with the NFL.

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano on Thursday, the league is currently looking into potential tampering violations made by the Falcons during their pursuit to sign Cousins this offseason.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini also added that investigating these potential violations is typically a standard practice conducted by the league. However, Atlanta could possibly be facing a significant penalty if the NFL finds them guilty of violating their tampering policy.

Atlanta Falcons already getting the full a full dose of former Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins

Thursday's news is an interesting coincidence, considering it was revealed less than 24 hours after Cousins' introductory press conference with Atlanta in which he shared some notable details about the negotiation process.

The former Vikings quarterback revealed on Wednesday that he had a conversation with the Falcons' head athletic trainer on Tuesday, which is not something that is permitted by the league until the new league year begins (which happened at 3 p.m. CST on Wednesday).

Thursday's news also seems notable since other teams tampering with Cousins is something that Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell alluded too in an interview with NFL Network back during this year's NFL Scouting Combine.

There seems to be plenty of evidence to suggest that Atlanta is indeed guilty of a tampering violation during their efforts to sign Cousins this year. So what does that mean for the Falcons?

Well, if the NFL determines that Atlanta has committed a tampering violation, the league could force them to forfeit a future draft selection.

If the NFL deems the violation severe enough, it could even potentially result in the Falcons having to forfeit their first-round pick in next year's NFL Draft. Depending on where they finish in the standings in 2024, losing this selection could definitely be a significant punishment for them.

As recent as 2022, the league forced the Miami Dolphins to forfeit their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after the team was found in violation of the league's tampering policy during the 2022 offseason.

Unless the NFL is looking to send a major message to the Falcons and the rest of the league, none of Atlanta's 2024 draft picks are likely to be taken away. So, as of Thursday, the Falcons will still have the No. 8 overall selection in this year's NFL Draft.

As for whether or not Atlanta will have to forfeit any of their draft picks in 2025 or beyond, that is up for the NFL to decide.