The NFL continued this week to issue out financial and competitive discipline to teams violating its COVID-19 protocols.
The New England Patriots were fined $350,000 for protocol violations stemming from issues in October when Cam Newton and others tested positive, forcing the league, among other things, to push back their Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, sources told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints were fined $500,000 and docked a seventh-round pick for their maskless locker room celebration following their Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rapoport reported. New Orleans was also found to have conducted a maskless meeting.
The Saints are repeat offenders. Earlier this season, the league fined both the Saints and the Las Vegas Raiders organizations $250,000 each and coaches Sean Payton and Jon Gruden $100,000 each for failure to follow proper face-covering protocol during their Week 2 clash on Monday Night Football.
