Apr 29, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces the final pick of the 2021 NFL Draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at First Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL handed out multiple fines during the 2020 COVID season for various reasons, but one coach reportedly blew off his penalties from the league.
ESPN published a great piece this week that looked into the origins of the Jon Gruden emails leak that resulted in the former Las Vegas Raiders head coach’s resignation. One section of the piece argued that the league office may have had it out for the Raiders and Gruden.
The story noted how the Raiders were fined $500,000 and stripped of a sixth-round draft pick for COVID violations. Gruden was fined $150,000 over mask violations (the fines were worth it just for the great photos). Gruden was reportedly livid over the fines but ended up paying them.
Sean Payton was similarly fined for failing to wear a mask during a 2020 “Monday Night Football” game between his New Orleans Saints and the Raiders. But Payton reportedly never paid the fine and mocked Gruden for doing so.
“I never paid the fine. You’re the only dumbf— that paid the fine,” Payton told Gruden, according to the ESPN story.
Kyle Shanahan, Vic Fangio and Pete Carroll were other head coaches who were fined for committing the same violation. It’s unclear if any of those coaches paid their respective fines. But if the NFL forced Gruden to pay his fine but they didn’t enforce the penalties for other coaches, that would indicate favoritism and perhaps strengthen Gruden’s legal case against the league.
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