New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick characteristically addressed reporters with his deadpan demeanour when asked about the Miami Dolphins tampering with star quarterback Tom Brady during the 2019 season.
On Tuesday, the NFL announced the Dolphins were to be stripped of two high draft picks - a first- and third-round selection - and issued a fine and a suspension to team owner Stephen Ross for tampering violations involving Brady and iconic New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton in recent years. The NFL referred to Miami’s conduct as ‘tampering violations of unprecedented scope and severity’.
The league conclusively found the Dolphins had ‘impermisssable communications’ with Brady between 2019 and 2021, while he played for both the Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Along with the draft picks, Ross has been fined $1.5million (£1.2m) and been removed from all NFL committees indefinitely.
