Kirk Cousins might have already cost the Falcons a draft pick

The Kirk Cousins era in Atlanta could be off to an inauspicious start because of a comment the quarterback made during his introductory press conference with the Falcons.

The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal on Monday, recruiting him away from the Minnesota Vikings where he'd spent the last six years of his career. Considering the timing of the agreement, just a few hours into the NFL's legal tampering period, it's safe to assume conversations were likely had between his representatives and Atlanta well before it was strictly legal to do so.

That's rampant across the NFL, which tends to turn a blind eye with a "don't ask, don't tell" kind of mindset. However, if you do tell, the league will come down on you.

So it matters what Cousins said on Wednesday when he made his first appearance as a member of the Atlanta Falcons: He flat-out admitted to breaking the rules of the legal tampering period.

Kirk Cousins admitted to tampering by the Falcons

“There’s great people here,” Cousins said during the press conference, as noted by Pro Football Talk. “And it’s not just the football team. I mean, I’m looking at the support staff. Meeting — calling, yesterday, calling our head athletic trainer, talking to our head of P.R. I’m thinking, we got good people here. And that’s exciting to be a part of.”

Yesterday was Tuesday, relative to when he made that comment on Wednesday. Tuesday was before free agency officially opened and while the legal tampering period was still open.

That's a problem for Cousins and the Falcons.

NFL tampering rules explained

Even though the legal tampering window implies that tampering can occur, that tampering still has regulations.

Here's how the NFL explains it:

"From 12:00 p.m. ET on Monday, March 11 until 3:59:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 13, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon expiration of their 2023 player contracts at 4:00 p.m. ET on March 13. The two-day negotiating period applies only to prospective unrestricted free agents. It does not apply to players who have received, or who may receive, a required tender applicable to the 2024 League Year (e.g., exclusive rights players, restricted free agents, franchise players or transition players)."

The key here is that clubs are allowed to speak with agents, not the players themselves.

The fact that Cousins admitted to speaking to the head athletic trainer during the legal tampering period is a violation of the rules. Even though he had agreed to a contract with the Falcons, that contract couldn't be made official until Wednesday.

It doesn't help that Cousins has also mentioned speaking to Kyle Pitts weeks ago.

Pitts is allowed to speak to players on other teams of his own accord but if he was directed by the Falcons to reach out that would also constitute tampering.

In 2016, the Chiefs were docked a third-round and sixth-round pick because the NFL determined they illegally contacted wide receiver Jeremy Maclin during the tampering period.

Teams speak directly with players all the time before the official opening of free agency. The key is to not get caught doing it. The Falcons and Cousins didn't get that memo.