NFL Rumors: Teams 'Obsessive' About Not Getting Caught Breaking Tampering Rules

There are only two weeks remaining in the 2024 NFL regular season, which means there is no shortage of rumors and speculation as teams out of the playoff race look ahead to their future and potential head-coaching candidates.

But that doesn't mean they are actively tampering with candidates who are on the coaching staffs of other teams.

"Those conversations can't even happen yet," Dianna Russini of The Athletic said Tuesday on the Scoop City podcast (21-minute mark). "… It is just gossip because nothing formal can happen during the regular season. Is there definitely some stuff planted to drum up interest from some people? I think absolutely.

"… But I can tell you that there are a lot of teams that are obsessive about making sure they do this by the rules of the league because you do not want to get caught tampering."

She specifically mentioned Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Cleveland Browns consultant Mike Vrabel as examples of candidates who have been connected to various openings around the league even though such formal conversations cannot happen because they are actively on staffs.

Johnson is no stranger to such speculation after he was a highly regarded candidate for coach openings last season as well before he decided to return to the Lions and pursue a Super Bowl.

Detroit is sitting atop the NFC standings at 13-2 in part because of the offense's overall performance under Johnson, and this could be the offseason he makes the jump and takes a head coaching job somewhere around the league.

As for Vrabel, he was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans for six seasons from 2018 through 2023 and led the team to the playoffs three times in a row during that tenure.

Even with the highly regarded candidates, it isn't surprising to see NFL teams use an element of caution when it comes to avoiding tampering. After all, it was just in June when the NFL announced the Atlanta Falcons violated league tampering rules when signing three free agents, including quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Atlanta was fined $250,000 and stripped of a fifth-round draft pick, while general manager Terry Fontenot was fined $50,000. That came after the Miami Dolphins lost first- and third-round picks in 2022 after the league ruled it tampered with Tom Brady and Sean Payton.