The Eagles seem pretty happy to have RB Saquon Barkley aboard after the former No. 2 pick spent his first six NFL seasons with the Giants.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni recently described how he mocks Giants fans by bragging, "We got your best player," which should set up for a fun pair of rivalry matchups between Philadelphia and New York later in the year.
Still, a small cloud hung over the excitement of bringing such a dynamic player into the mix, as the Eagles' pursuit of Barkley came under scrutiny from the NFL. The league investigated Philadelphia for tampering but announced Thursday it would not punish the franchise for its pursuit of Barkley.
Here's what you need to know about the tampering charges against the Eagles and why they were let off the hook for their pursuit of Barkley.
MORE: When does Saquon Barkley face the Giants?
Eagles tampering charges, explained
The NFL began an investigation into the Eagles after Penn State coach James Franklin indicated Barkley spoke with GM Howie Roseman during the legal tampering period ahead of free agency.
"For him now to come back and be able to play within the state in Philadelphia, he said that was one of the first things that Howie [Roseman] said to him on the phone as part of kind of his sales pitch to him," Franklin said at Penn State's spring media day.
The allegation wasn't that the Eagles spoke to Barkley before the legal tampering period, which made this case less serious than the investigation into the Falcons' alleged tampering with Kirk Cousins. Instead, the potential violation was Roseman speaking to Barkley directly even if it did occur during the legal tampering period.
General managers can only speak to agents during the tampering period, as pending free agents remain under contract with their outgoing teams. Franklin's comments implied that Roseman pitched Barkley directly on the idea of signing with the Eagles.
Barkley denied that the timeline played out quite that way when he was introduced by the Eagles.
"Coach Franklin, I think he misinterpreted it," Barkley said. The truth was to sell basically Penn State. So many Penn State fans are Philadelphia Eagles fans, but that was through my agent. My agent told me that."
Franklin echoed Barkley's comments and later said he just incorrectly assumed Barkley had heard from Roseman directly.
"I had a 10-minute conversation with Saquon, and I just assumed and connected dots that weren't there," Franklin said. "All those conversations went through his agent."
The Eagles weren't in major hot water even after the allegations, as they were not accused of speaking to Barkley before the legal tampering period. And in announcing the findings of its investigation, the NFL admitted it couldn't find proof that Philadelphia had tampered with Barkley.
"After a thorough review of the Philadelphia Eagles signing of Saquon Barkley, the NFL today informed the club that the investigation did not discover sufficient evidence to support a finding that the Anti-Tampering Policy was violated," the NFL said in a statement.
"In coming to this conclusion, the league reviewed phone logs, text messages and other documents related to Philadelphia’s free agency strategy and decision to sign Barkley. The NFL also interviewed several members of the organization, including Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni, as well as Barkley and Penn State head coach James Franklin."
That put an end to the tampering charges against the Eagles, though the NFL noted in its statement that it could reopen the investigation "should new evidence be uncovered."
MORE: Details on Jason Kelce's new role with ESPN
Other NFL tampering cases
Tampering investigations have surfaced a handful of times in recent years, including once last year.
A quiet investigation into the Cardinals was brought to light just ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft when the league announced a swap of draft picks benefiting the Eagles after Arizona tampered with then-Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon during the franchise's head coaching search.
The NFL came down hard on the Dolphins in 2022 for trying to pair Tom Brady with coach Sean Payton while the two were under contract. Miami was stripped of first- and third-round picks, and owner Stephen Ross was fined $1.5 million.
The Chiefs lost third- and sixth-round picks for tampering with WR Jeremy Maclin in 2015, with coach Andy Reid and GM John Dorsey also receiving small fines.
The NFL also investigated the Falcons for tampering with QB Kirk Cousins before signing him in March. The NFL eventually penalized Atlanta for tampering, docking it a fifth-round pick and fining the team and general manager Terry Fontenot a combined $300,000 for the offense.
The NFL is docking the #Falcons a 2025 fifth-round pick for violating the league’s anti-tampering policy with Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney and Charlie Woerner. The team is also being fined $250,000 and GM Terry Fontenot is being fined $50,000.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 13, 2024
The violations are considered… pic.twitter.com/fa7cHnHXWu
Saquon Barkley contract
Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles in free agency. The deal includes $26 million in guaranteed money.
The running back position experienced a bit of a revival during free agency, with Barkley leading a strong crop of free agents at the position that included Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, D'Andre Swift, and Aaron Jones. Barkley's $12.58 million annual salary led the way, followed by Jacobs' deal with the Packers averaging $12 million.
The allure of playing closer to his hometown was likely a factor for Barkley, but that hefty salary was likely an even greater factor. If he stays healthy and lives up to expectations in the Eagles' balanced offense, Philadelphia likely won't care how much it cost to bring Barkley in.
