On Tuesday, the NFL suspended Dolphins owner Stephen Ross for the first six weeks of the 2022 season for tampering with Sean Payton and Tom Brady. Mary Jo White, the magistrate leading the investigation into the allegation that Ross and the Dolphins purposely tanked in 2019 in order to get the best possible pick in the 2020 draft, also looked into the tampering allegations. around Stephen Ross and the Dolphins. She discovered that these facts were true.
“The Dolphins had inadmissible communications with quarterback Tom Brady in 2019-20 while he was under contract with the Patriots,” the league said in a statement. “These communications began as early as August 2019 and continued throughout the 2019 season and the playoffs. These extensive and detailed discussions were led by Mr. Beal, who in turn kept Mr. Ross and other Dolphins executives informed of his discussions with Mr. Brady.”
“The Dolphins once more had inadmissible communications with Mr. Brady and his agent during and following the 2021 season, while he was under contract with the Buccaneers. These talks began no later than early December 2021 and focused on Mr. Brady becoming a limited partner of the Dolphins and possibly as a manager, although at times they also included the possibility that he plays for the Dolphins. Both Messrs. Ross and Beal actively participated in these discussions.”
“In January 2022, the Dolphins had inadmissible communications with Saints coach Sean Payton’s agent Don Yee regarding Mr. Payton’s appointment as Miami coach. Miami did not seek New Orleans’ consent to have those discussions, which took place before Coach Payton announced his decision to retire as Saints coach. Following this announcement, Miami requested permission to speak to Coach Payton for the first time, which New Orleans refused to grant.
“Investigators have uncovered tampering on an unprecedented scale and severity,” Roger Goodell said in a statement. “I know of no previous example of a team breaching the tampering ban with both a manager and a star player, to the potential detriment of several other clubs, over a period of years. Likewise, I know of no previous case in which an owner was so directly implicated in the violations”.
The NFL stripped Miami of the team’s 2023 1st-round draft pick and its 2024 third-round pick. no team or league events. He is banned from all league meetings until March 2023 and has been fined $1.5 million. Bruce Beal, the Dolphins’ vice president, was banned from all league meetings through the end of the year and fined $500,000.
While the Dolphins have been cleared of all tanking charges, Stephen Ross responded to these findings in a statement released by the franchise on Twitter.
“The independent investigation has cleared our organization of any tanking issues and all of Brian Flores’ other allegations. As I have always said, these allegations were false, malicious and defamatory, and that matter is now resolved. Regarding the tampering, I strongly disagree with the findings and the punishment. However, I will accept the result because the most important thing is that there are no distractions for our team as we start an exciting and winning season. I won’t let anything stand in the way.”
Statement from Stephen Ross. pic.twitter.com/Ori647H0oF
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 2, 2022
