The NFL on Thursday handed down a punishment for the Atlanta Falcons because of tampering with free agents this offseason. Among the trio of free agents Atlanta was found to have communicated impermissibly during the legal negotiating window was former 49ers tight end Charlie Woerner.
NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero indicated the violations came due to discussion of things like flights after the club had legally agreed to terms on a deal with their free agents.
Atlanta lost a 2025 fifth-round pick and earned a $250,000 fine. General manager Terry Fontenot was also hit with a $50,000 fine according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Woerner was just one of three players the Falcons had illicit contact with. Atlanta was also found to have tampered with former Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney and former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
The Falcons gave Woerner a three-year, $12 million deal this offseason.
