The 10 Biggest Scandals in NFL History

Rule changes, lost draft picks and one suspension that went to a federal appeals court. Competitive integrity, argued case by case.

1

Deflategate

The 2015 dispute over under-inflated footballs that ended with a four-game suspension for Tom Brady, upheld on appeal in 2016.

2

Spygate

New England was fined and docked a first-round pick in 2007 for filming an opponent's defensive signals from a prohibited position.

3

Bountygate

The 2012 finding that New Orleans ran a pay-for-performance pool rewarding hits, which cost the head coach a full season.

4

The 2018 NFC Championship no-call

An uncalled pass interference late in the Rams-Saints game led the league to briefly make interference reviewable.

5

The Tuck Rule game

A 2002 playoff ruling reversed a Raiders fumble recovery, kept New England alive and got the rule scrapped a decade later.

6

Calvin Ridley's betting suspension

The receiver was suspended for the entire 2022 season for betting on NFL games while away from his team.

7

The 1987 strike and replacement players

A 24-day players' strike was played out by replacement squads whose results still count in the record books.

8

The StarCaps suspensions

A banned diuretic in an over-the-counter supplement triggered suspensions and years of litigation from 2008.

9

The Music City Miracle lateral

Tennessee's 2000 playoff kickoff return survived review despite a forward-pass argument that has never gone away.

10

The Miami Dolphins tampering forfeiture

Miami lost a first-round pick in 2022 after the league found impermissible contact with a quarterback and a coach.