The Atlanta Falcons tampered in order to acquire the services of former 49ers tight end Charlie Woerner. That is according to the NFL's finding on Thursday, in which the league deemed that Atlanta had tampered with Woerner, Kirk Cousins and Darnell Mooney, along with punishments.
The league found that the Eagles, also under investigation in relation to signing Saquon Barkley, will not be penalized after the finding were insufficient. The Falcons, meanwhile, will lose a fifth-round pick and face fines for what the NFL deemed "improper contact with prospective unrestricted free agents."
The full extent of the penalties the Falcons will face is losing a fifth-round pick in 2025, along with a fine of $250,000 against the team and a separate fine of $50,000 for Falcons GM Terry Fontenot.
The violations are considered logistical and administrative and did not involve illegal contact prior to the opening of the negotiating window.
Woerner, 26, played four seasons for the 49ers after being selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was mostly used as a blocking tight end, with just 11 catches for 120 yards in his career. The Georgia product returned to the Peach State on a three-year, $12 million deal with the Falcons. Ross Dwelley is also rostered with Atlanta.