The investigation, led by former U.S. Attorney and SEC Chairwoman Mary Jo White and attorneys from the Debevoise law firm, found the Dolphins violated anti-tampering rules three times, the NFL said in a news release Tuesday. The investigation also found the team did not intentionally lose games, known as tanking, but noted that Ross repeatedly suggested the team prioritize its draft position over winning games in the 2019 season, the release said.
As punishment, the Dolphins will forfeit their first-round pick in the 2023 draft and a third-round pick in the 2024 draft. Ross is suspended until Oct. 17, six games into the 2022 season, and fined $1.5 million dollars, the announcement said.
“Regarding the tampering, I strongly disagree with the findings and the punishment,” Ross said in a statement posted to the Miami Dolphins’ Twitter account. “However, I will accept the result because the most important thing is that there are no distractions for our team as we embark on an exciting and winning season.” I won’t let anything get in the way of that.”
The investigation found that the Dolphins had “impermissible communications” with Brady in 2019-20 while he was a member of the New England Patriots and again during and after the 2021 season when he was under contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. according to an NFL release. Those second discussions focused on Brady “becoming a limited partner in the Dolphins and possibly serving as a football executive” and also included the possibility of him playing for the Dolphins, the investigation found.
The league found Dolphins vice president Bruce Beal initiated the contact with Brady and fined him $500,000. The Dolphins did not comment when asked about Beal’s actions.
Also, in January 2022, the Dolphins had “unauthorized communications” with Payton’s agent, who was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints at the time and has since retired.
“Investigators found tampering violations of unprecedented scope and severity,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “I am not aware of any previous case of a team breaching the ban on tampering with both a head coach and a star player, to the potential detriment of multiple other clubs, over a period of several years.” Likewise, I know of no previous case where property was so directly implicated in the violations.”
The investigation also looked into whether the Dolphins intentionally forfeited games during the 2019 season to improve their draft position, known as tanking. The Dolphins eventually finished the 2019 season 5-11 and earned the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The NFL’s investigation found that the team did not lose games intentionally, nor did any club members, including Ross, instruct then-Dolphins coach Brian Flores to lose games, according to the release. However, the investigation found that Ross repeatedly expressed his belief that the team’s draft position should take priority over win-loss record.
In February, Flores told CNN that Ross specifically told him he would give him $100,000 for every game Flores lost. At the time, Ross denied the allegations, calling the claims “baseless, unfair and dismissive.”
The investigation found that people had “different memories regarding the wording, timing and context” of the claimed offer, according to the NFL’s news release.
“However worded, such a comment was not intended or taken as a serious offer, nor was the subject pursued in any way by Mr Ross or anyone else at the club,” it said.
Goodell said in a statement that the comment, even if made as a joke, risks harming the integrity of the game.
“Every club is expected to make a good faith effort to win every game,” he said in a statement. “The integrity of the game and the public trust in professional football demand no less.” An owner or senior manager must understand the weight that his or her words carry, as well as the risk that the comment will be taken seriously and acted upon, even if that is not the intention or expectation. Even if made in jest and not meant to be taken seriously, comments suggesting that draft position is more important than winning can be misconstrued and carry with it an unnecessary potential risk to the integrity of the game. “
He praised Flores, who was fired earlier this year and sued the Dolphins, the NFL and other teams for alleged racial discrimination, for continuing to try to win games. The NFL and the teams have denied the allegations.
“The comments made by Mr. Ross did not affect Coach Flores’ commitment to winning and the Dolphins competing to win every game,” Goodell said. “Coach Flores should be commended for not allowing any comments about the relative importance of position in a draft to affect his commitment to winning during the season.”
Flores and lawyers say he was right
In a statement, Flores expressed his disappointment in what he said was the NFL’s investigation downplaying Ross’ comments about tanking.
“I am grateful that the NFL investigator found my factual allegations against Steven Ross to be true,” Flores said. “At the same time, I am disappointed to learn that the investigator minimized Mr. Ross’ suggestions and pressure about tank games, especially when I wrote and sent a letter at the time to Dolphins executives documenting my serious concerns about this topic at the time. when the investigator is at her house.”
His lawyers, Douglas H. Wigdor and John Eleftherakis, expressed similar disappointment with the investigation’s assessment of Ross’ comments.
“We are certainly disheartened that the investigator and obviously the commissioner excused grossly inappropriate comments that go to the heart of the integrity of the game, regarding tanking as a joke, especially when there was a letter written by Coach Flores at the time demonstrating the gravity with which these comments were received by Coach Flores,” they said in a statement.
“The punishment announced today is clearly inadequate and disheartening. Unfortunately, it remains clear that the NFL cannot police itself, which is why we look forward to continuing to push the lawsuit forward, prove all of Brian’s claims, as well as those of the class of black executives, coaches and candidates, and force real change in the NFL.”
Ross, meanwhile, said in a statement that the investigation cleared the Dolphins of tanking.
“The independent investigation cleared our organization of any issues related to the tanks and any other allegations made by Brian Flores,” he said. “As I have said all along, these claims were false, malicious and defamatory and this matter has now been put to rest.”
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