Raiders hit with fines and lose draft pick in violation of COVID-19 protocol, per report
The NFL will reportedly fine the Las Vegas Raiders heavily for violating COVID-19 protocol.
According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, fines will be levied against the franchise ($500,000) and head coach Jon Gruden ($150,000).
Also, the Raiders will lose a sixth-round draft pick for being repeat offenders, related to tackle Trent Brown’s positive test in late October, according to Robinson.
The Raiders are the first team to lose a draft pick due to COVID-19 violations. In the 2021 NFL draft, the Raiders have picks in each of the first three rounds, a fifth-rounder, now just one in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Gruden doesn’t believe the league is making an example of the Raiders.
“Very proud of our organization for how we handled this entire protocol and this entire process,” he said. “I’m not going to comment any further than that. As I said last week, I believe we’re on the cutting edge of being the best at servicing players. I’ll leave it at that.”
“I’m really proud of the guys that I work with here. We’ve done a heck of a job. It’s a very difficult process. I stand by what we’re doing and I believe we’re doing a heck of a job.”
Earlier this season, Gruden was fined $100,000 from the Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints.
The Raiders were hit with other fines in four other coronavirus-related incidents from earlier this season.
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network said the Raiders were fined $350,000 for a sideline mask violation; $165,000 for mask-less players at a Las Vegas function; $50,000 for an unauthorized locker room visitor and $650,000 in relation to Brown.
Total fines are more than $1.2 million, Pelissero said.
The NFL has fined other teams during the season, the latest being Friday morning when the league fined Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin $100,000 and the team $250,000 for violating mask-wearing protocols.
This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 6:46 PM.
