Cowboys Face Tampering Allegations as Tony Casillas is Signed by Kansas City Chiefs

Dallas defensive tackle Tony Casillas, a key player on the Cowboys' Super Bowl winning teams in 1992 and 1993, has signed a four-year, $6 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the release agreement he signed includes a provision that prohibits the Cowboys from negotiating with him, sparking tampering allegations. The Chiefs suspect the Cowboys of attempting to re-sign Casillas after he refused to report to camp citing health reasons. Meanwhile, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue declared Casillas an unrestricted free agent, allowing him to explore opportunities with other teams.

Key Takeaways:

Tony Casillas, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, signed a four-year, $6 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, including a $1.2 million signing bonus.
The release agreement includes a provision that prohibits the Dallas Cowboys from negotiating with Casillas.
The Cowboys were prepared to offer Casillas up to $500,000 this season to re-sign, but were barred from negotiating by the release agreement.
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue declared Casillas an unrestricted free agent, but did not publicly disclose that the Cowboys were prohibited from negotiating with him.
Casillas has received interest from the Los Angeles Raiders, Washington Redskins, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys have denied any tampering charges, while the Chiefs have accused an unnamed team (allegedly the Cowboys) of attempting to re-sign Casillas.

Statistics:

Four-year, $6 million contract signed by Casillas with the Kansas City Chiefs.
$1.2 million signing bonus included in the contract.
Up to $500,000 offered by the Cowboys to re-sign Casillas.
4 Pro Bowl appearances made by Tony Casillas with the Dallas Cowboys.

Sources:

"Defensive Teammate in limbo over release clause" by New York Times ( unknown date)
"Casillas signs with Chiefs, not allowed to return to Cowboys" by The Dallas Morning News (September 2)