The Arizona Cardinals self-reported an instance of tampering with their new head coach, former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, and agreed to give draft pick compensation to Philadelphia “to resolve the matter” Thursday.
Minutes before the start of the 2023 NFL Draft, the teams released a statement explaining that the Cardinals and Eagles agreed to swap third-round picks this season, while the Cardinals will get Philadelphia’s 2024 fifth-round selection.
The Eagles improved their third-round pick by 28 spots — going from the 31st pick of the round (No. 94 overall) to the third (No. 66).
New Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort had a phone call with Gannon “in the days following the NFC Championship Game” on Jan. 29 that the Eagles won, according to the teams’ statement. That was a period where contact was impermissible and considered tampering by the league’s anti-tampering policy.
The Cardinals eventually hired Gannon as their next coach on Feb. 14, replacing Kliff Kingsbury, after Gannon and the Eagles reached the Super Bowl and fell 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 12.
–Field Level Media