The Eagles and Cardinals settled a tampering fiasco by swapping picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Arizona will swap the No. 66 overall pick in the draft in exchange for Philadelphia’s No. 94 after the Cardinals made “impermissible contact” with their new head coach Jonathan Gannon while he still worked as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, according to a press release from both teams.
The two teams announced the settled deal on Thursday, shortly before the draft began, with the Eagles also giving Arizona a 2024 fifth-round pick and the rights to Gannon in exchange for the higher-up draft slot during this year’s third round.
“The Cardinals self-reported to the National Football League that General Manager Monti Ossenfort had a phone conversation with then-Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon in the days following the NFC Championship Game, a period during which contact is not permitted under the League’s Anti-Tampering Policy,” Arizona and Philadelphia both said in the statement.
The settlement gives Philadelphia a chance to bolster its roster with a stronger draft pick after falling short in the Super Bowl this past February.
Besides officially landing their head coach with Gannon through the settlement, the Cardinals still retain eight picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, all while receiving an extra pick for next year.
The Cardinals, who fell short of the playoffs last season with a 4-13 record, are currently looking for weapons to put around Kyler Murray, the team’s franchise quarterback.
Arizona also traded the No. 3 pick in the draft for pick No. 12 and 33 in this year’s draft and a first and third-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.