After almost three months of investigation, the Philadelphia Eagles have been cleared by the NFL of tampering with then-free agent running back Saquon Barkley.
The league announced in a statement that there was not “sufficient evidence” to penalize Howie Roseman and the Eagles for what Penn State coach James Franklin had described as a pre-free agency phone call between Barkley and Roseman.
A statement from the NFL on the #Eagles:
After a thorough review of the Philadelphia Eagles signing of Saquon Barkley, the NFL today informed the club that the investigation did not discover sufficient evidence to support a finding that the Anti-Tampering Policy was violated.…— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 13, 2024
During an interview in March, Franklin talked about Barkley’s decision to sign with Philadelphia.
“He said that was one of the first things that Howie said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch,” Franklin said. “Not only the Philadelphia Eagles and that that but also the connection with Penn State and the fan base as well. So just a really cool opportunity.”
Per NFL rules, front office personnel are allowed to talk only with players’ agents — not directly to players — during the 52-hour “legal tampering” window.
After Franklin’s comments, the NFL decided to investigate any potential tampering with the former Giants running back before the start of free agency.
The NFL is looking into potential tampering by the #Eagles and #Falcons prior to the start of free agency, as is standard in such matters, per league source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 14, 2024
An Eagles spokesperson told Pro Football Talk in March that all communication happened through Barkley’s agent.
Barkley, 27, played six seasons for the Giants after being selected second overall in the 2018 NFL draft. He signed a three-year, $37.7 million deal to join Philadelphia.
Also Thursday, the NFL announced that it had stripped the Atlanta Falcons of a fifth-round pick for tampering violations involving quarterback Kirk Cousins and two other players.
