With all the positivity coming from Miami Dolphins training camp Stephen Ross has once again messed with the chances of his teams success as the NFL has found him guilty of tampering with both Tom Brady and Sean Payton.
Effectively confirming the rumours that the Dolphins owner tried to get a Payton – Brady combo together this season in Miami, the NFL has stripped the Dolphins of their 2023 first-round pick, and their 2024 third-round pick.
Both Ross and Vice-chairman/Limited-partner Bruce Beal were found to have tampered with Tom Brady over a three-year period in 2019, 2020, and 2021 including as late as December 2021, when he was QB of the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Former Saints HC Sean Payton was tampered with PRIOR to announcing his retirement on January 25th, and the Dolphins made a subsequent approach through official (legal) channels after he announced his retirement.
MIAMI DOLPHINS OWNER ALSO “JOKED” ABOUT TANKING
The NFL also found that Stephen Ross did indeed make the comment about $100,000 for a loss, but thankfully, the NFL also found that the comments weren’t to be taken seriously. Former Dolphins HC Brian Flores raised concerns at the time about the comment with other executives.
However, the NFL found that Flores at no point did anything other than try to win games. With regard to the tanking the NFL report states :
These comments, which he took to be suggestions that he lose games, troubled Coach Flores and led him to express his concerns in writing to senior club executives, each of whom assured Coach Flores that everyone, including Mr. Ross, supported him in building a winning culture in Miami. After this, Mr. Ross no longer made any such comments to Coach Flores.
One such comment is a claimed offer by Mr. Ross to pay Coach Flores $100,000 to lose games, as to which there are differing recollections about the wording, timing, and context. However phrased, such a comment was not intended or taken to be a serious offer, nor was the subject pursued in any respect by Mr. Ross or anyone else at the club.
The NFL statement in Full:
Stephen Ross also put out a statement through the official Miami Dolphins account:
Ross was suspended from all team activities until 17th October 2022, and fined $1.5-million. Bruce Beal was fined $500,000.
The toxicity of this team will only end with the removal of Stephen Ross.
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