COs unlikely to be penalized for Andrew Luck tampering allegation

[ad_1]

Comment this storyComment

EAGAN, Minnesota. Washington commanders are unlikely to face penalties stemming from tampering allegations involving retired quarterback Andrew Luck, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The allegations stemmed from a report released this month that COs considered the odds last offseason as part of their quarterbacking deliberations. The Indianapolis Colts retain NFL contract rights to Luck, who retired just before the 2019 season at age 29.

There probably isn’t enough hard evidence of inadmissible contact to penalize commanders, one of the people familiar with the matter said, adding that the issue is likely to fade away without being investigated.

ESPN reported this month that COs even phoned retired Andrew Luck last year before making a trade to the Colts for Carson Wentz. A later version of the ESPN story said COs even made phone calls about retired Andrew Luck.

It does not appear that the NFL has launched an official investigation into the allegation. The Colts had asked the league to look into the matter, a person familiar with the situation previously said.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals worked out a draft pick trade in this year’s draft due to a tampering issue. The Cardinals admitted impermissible contact with then-Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon before hiring him after the Super Bowl as a coach.

The teams notified the league of the issue but resolved the issue themselves. They traded third-round selections in this year’s draft, with the Eagles moving up 28 spots; the Cardinals received a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft.

The Josh Harris Group in constructive discussions with the NFL on the sale of commanders

But tampering issues can be resolved by the league. In August, the NFL fined and suspended Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and stripped the team of two draft picks after finding the Dolphins committed tampering violations involving quarterback Tom Brady and Sean Payton, the former Super Bowl winning coach of the New Orleans Saints who is now with the Denver Broncos. The Dolphins lost their first-round pick in this year’s draft and a third-round pick next year.

A person at Lucks’ camp said this month that commanders had not contacted Luck, his father or his uncle, who acted as his agent.

Luck said he was exhausted from dealing with injuries when he announced his retirement in August 2019. He has given no indication since that he intended to return to the NFL. His contract is renewed, according to league rules; he would remain under contract with the Colts should he return to play, and any team wishing to contact him would need to be cleared by the Colts.

Luck, now 33, was selected to four Pro Bowls in his six seasons, all with the Colts.

[ad_2]