Dolphins Lose Draft Picks for Brady, Payton Tampering; Stephen Ross Suspended

The Miami Dolphins will lose their first and third round picks in the next two drafts for violating the league's rules on tampering.

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter

Here is the notice and penalties the NFL is imposing on the Dolphins for Integrity-Of-The-Game Violations: pic.twitter.com/Qk8KNaALyN

Stephen Ross has been fined more than one million dollars. The vice-chairman won't be allowed to attend league meetings.

The Dolphins had improper contact with Tom Brady while he was a member of the team and when he was a member of the New England Pats. The head coach of the New Orleans Saints was the subject of a conversation with the agent.

Pro Football Talk reported in February that the Dolphins were going to try to get Brady and Payton. They both retired from their jobs.

The lawsuit was filed by Brian Flores, the former head coach of the Dolphins.

The lawsuit states that Ross pressured Flores to recruit a quarterback in violation of League tampering rules.

While Brady was the quarterback, Flores was a member of the staff.

According to the lawsuit, Ross offered to pay $100,000 for each loss during the season if the Dolphins tanked. Miami did not intentionally lose games that year and the offer from Ross was not serious, according to the latest investigation by the National Football League.

Ross should be aware of the weight of his words, according to the commissioner.

If made in jest and not intended to be taken seriously, comments suggesting that draft position is more important than winning could be misinterpreted and carry with them an unnecessary risk to the integrity of the game.

Tua Tagovailoa will be the starting quarterback for the Dolphins in the year 2022.