Six months after former Dolphins coach Brian Flores accused team owner Stephen Ross of essentially bribing him to lose games for better draft position, the NFL has temporarily stripped Miami of both Ross’ picks and premium draft picks , NFL Media reports. Commissioner Roger Goodell informed the franchise on Tuesday that a league investigation found that Ross had at least hinted at prioritizing draft picks over winning record in 2019 and that he impermissibly had repeated communications with both Tom Brady and with Sean Payton as he tried to recruit big names to his team. As a result, Ross was fined $1.5 million and suspended until Oct. 17, while the Dolphins must forfeit their 2023 first-round pick and 2024 third-round pick for “violating the integrity of the game.”
The NFL’s investigation found that the Dolphins did not intentionally lose games in 2019, when the team finished 5-11, and could not support Flores’ remarkable claim that Ross offered him $100,000 for every loss that season: “( There are) different memories of the wording, timing and context (of the remark). However worded, no such comment was intended or taken as a serious offer, nor was the subject pursued in any way by Mr Ross or anyone else at the club.” He did, however, confirm that Ross had repeatedly offered Flores , team president Tom Garfinkel and general manager Chris Greer that 2020 draft position should outweigh a better 2019 win total. Ross’ comments, Goodell wrote, “even if they were made in jest . . . .carry with them unnecessary potential risk’.
More than the tanking allegations, the NFL in Tuesday’s ruling cited the Dolphins’ contact with Brady and Payton, citing “handling violations of unprecedented scope and severity.” The investigation, led by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White, found that Ross and the Dolphins had “impermissible communications” with Brady on two separate occasions — the first in 2019, back in August of that season while the quarterback was playing for the rival Patriots ; and again during and after the 2021 season before Brady retired and later returned to the Buccaneers. “These discussions … focused on Brady becoming a limited partner in the Dolphins and possibly serving as a football executive,” the investigation found, “although at times they included the possibility of him playing for the Dolphins.”
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The NFL’s investigation revealed that Ross and the Dolphins also illegally contacted Don Yee, Payton’s agent, in January while the longtime Saints coach was still employed by New Orleans: “Miami did not seek consent from New Orleans for these discussions that occurred before Coach Payton announced his decision to retire as head coach of the Saints,” the NFL announced. “Following that announcement, Miami requested permission to speak with Coach Payton for the first time, which New Orleans refused to grant.”
While serving his sentence, Ross is not permitted to attend the Dolphins’ facility or represent the club at any team or NFL event. He is also prohibited from attending any league meetings prior to the 2023 NFL Owners Meeting or any league committee communications. Bruce Beal, the Dolphins’ vice president, was also banned from league meetings until the end of the 2022 season and fined $500,000.
Ross has since released his own statement on the punishment, downplaying the tampering allegations while celebrating the victory over Flores’ tanking claims: “The independent investigation cleared our organization of all matters related to the tanking and all other allegations of Brian Flores. As I have said all along, these allegations were false, malicious and defamatory, and this issue is now complicated. As for tampering, I strongly disagree with the conclusions and the punishment. However, I will accept the result because the most important thing is that there is no no distractions for our team as we begin an exciting and winning season. I’m not going to let anything get in the way of that.”
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