Gruden, Payton fined 100G for going unmasked
Two more NFL head coaches and their teams have been fined for not wearing masks on the sideline.
A person with knowledge of the punishment said Tuesday that Jon Gruden of the Raiders and Sean Payton of the Saints were each fined $100,000 for not wearing masks on the sideline on Monday night. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the league wasn’t announcing specific fines, said the teams were also fined $250,000 for the infractions. The league already handed out similar punishments to Denver’s Vic Fangio, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and Seattle’s Pete Carroll, the person said. Gruden apologized after the game for failing to wear his mask and also acknowledged for the first time that he had the coronavirus during the offseason. “I don’t want to get into it really,” he said Tuesday. “It wasn’t pleasant. It was reported that I made up that I had the virus and it really ticked me off, because I would never do something like that. But it’s a very serious matter, and obviously I’m sensitive about it. It was a tough deal, that’s for sure, just like everybody else that’s had it.”
Payton also had the coronavirus this offseason.
The punishments come a week after the NFL warned all 32 teams in a memo about following the rules for wearing face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic lest they put the NFL season at risk.
League rules require coaches to wear coverings over their mouths and noses at all times. Players are exempt from these protocols. NFL Network and ESPN first reported the fines for Gruden.
BORTLES TO BRONCS
The Denver Broncos are in the process of adding free agent Blake Bortles to serve as their backup quarterback, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Broncos haven’t announced the signing, said the seventh-year veteran is going through the COVID-19 protocols after agreeing to a one-year deal. Bortles, the third overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, won’t be able to join the team until the weekend.
Brett Rypien is expected to serve as Jeff Driskel’s backup Sunday when the Broncos (0-2) host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1).
Driskel took over last weekend when starter Drew Lock injured his throwing shoulder on a sack in Pittsburgh. Lock is expected to miss three to five weeks with a bruised rotator cuff.
Driskel, who is 1-7 as a starter in his career, threw two touchdown passes in relief of Lock but also was sacked six times and threw a critical interception that resulted in Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton suffering a season-ending knee injury while making the tackle.
Driskel started five games for the Bengals in 2018 and three for the Lions last year. His career record as a starter is 1-7.
Bortles was the third overall pick in 2014 by Jacksonville, where he spent his first five seasons. He has 106 touchdown passes and 75 interceptions in 81 career games, including 76 starts, three in the playoffs.
Last year, Bortles backed up the Rams’ Jared Goff but threw just two passes in three appearances.