Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs will forfeit two draft picks after losing Maclin tampering appeal

Published Apr. 18, 2016 6:05 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Kansas City Chiefs lost their appeal in the NFL's anti-tampering case involving improper recruitment of wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, the NFL announced Monday.

The ruling means the Chiefs will forfeit their third-round draft pick this year and sixth-round pick next year. The league did however, reduce the team's $250,000 fine to $200,000, in addition to lowering coach Andy Reid's fine from $75,000 to $60,000.

"We appreciate the opportunity to make our appeal on this matter, and we acknowledge the minor reduction in fines imposed," team chairman Clark Hunt said in a press release. "However, we continue to believe that the facts of this case combined with the league's inconsistent enforcement of its tampering policies do not warrant the most severe penalty for player-related tampering in league history."

The NFL says the Chiefs violated the league's anti-tampering policy during the pre-free agency negotiating period in March 2015, by e-mailing and texting Maclin, who was still under contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chiefs and Maclin eventually struck a five-year, $55 million deal, although Kansas City officials deny contacting Maclin during the prohibited period.