With the Bears picking immediately after the Atlanta Falcons in Thursday’s first round of the draft at No. 9, the watch will be on in Chicago to see what happens with a league investigation the next few days.

There are actually two investigations, but one is of particular interest to the Bears and it is the one with Atlanta to determine possible violations for tampering in the signing of Kirk Cousins. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported there could be some sort of conclusion of this investigation this week.

The NFL’s investigation into alleged tampering charges against the Falcons for their involvement with then-free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Eagles for their involvement with then-free-agent running back Saquon Barkley is ongoing and could reach a conclusion as early as this week, per sources,” Adam Schefter reported on ESPN-plus. “Sources believe the discipline, which is likely to involve draft picks, is expected to be more severe for the Falcons.”

If the result comes out before the draft, there’s always a chance Atlanta would lose its draft pick in Round 1. The Bears would move up a spot then.

The Bears pick ninth and Falcons eighth. Considering both teams have needs at edge rusher, it might mean the difference between the best edge rusher and second best edge rusher.

Schefter pointed out how Miami forfeited its first-round pick last year and this year’s third-round pick in the Tom Brady and Sean Payton tampering incident, while Kansas City forfeited a third-round pick in 2016 and sixth-rounder in 2017 for tampering in 2015 with Jeremy Maclin.

An announcement of a penalty so soon before the draft would be rather sudden. There is a thought the Falcons might not be penalized until next year, if there is any penalty coming at all.

There are actually two investigations, but one is of particular interest to the Bears and it is the one with Atlanta to determine possible violations for tampering in the signing of Kirk Cousins. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported there could be some sort of conclusion of this investigation this week.

“The NFL’s investigation into alleged tampering charges against the Falcons for their involvement with then-free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Eagles for their involvement with then-free-agent running back Saquon Barkley is ongoing and could reach a conclusion as early as this week, per sources,” Adam Schefter reported on ESPN-plus. “Sources believe the discipline, which is likely to involve draft picks, is expected to be more severe for the Falcons.”

If the result comes out before the draft, there’s always a chance Atlanta would lose its draft pick in Round 1. The Bears would move up a spot then.

The Bears pick ninth and Falcons eighth. Considering both teams have needs at edge rusher, it might mean the difference between the best edge rusher and second best edge rusher.

Schefter pointed out how Miami forfeited its first-round pick last year and this year’s third-round pick in the Tom Brady and Sean Payton tampering incident, while Kansas City forfeited a third-round pick in 2016 and sixth-rounder in 2017 for tampering in 2015 with Jeremy Maclin.

An announcement of a penalty so soon before the draft would be rather sudden. There is a thought the Falcons might not be penalized until next year, if there is any penalty coming at all.

However, in the Miami case the investigation ended and result announced shortly after the start of training camp in 2022. So the Dolphins served the first part of their penalty in the very next draft. The second part of the penalty is being assessed in this draft.

The penalty in Kansas City’s case was put into effect only a month and a half after the investigation ended, in early March of 2016. The Chiefs lost their 2016 third-round pick in late April before losing a sixth-rounder the next year.