BALTIMORE – The Ravens were fined $ 250,000 by the NFL for their recent COVID-19 outbreak, but avoided the loss of a draft pick, a competition source confirmed.
This discipline is less strict than others imposed by the league this season. The New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans were each fined $ 350,000, and the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints were each fined $ 500,000 and stripped of a draft pick; the Raiders lost a pick in the sixth round and the Saints a seventh rounder.
The NFL fine is in addition to the discipline imposed by the Ravens, the source said. Baltimore has suspended strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders for not always wearing a mask and contact tracking device in the facility.
Last month, the Ravens dealt with one of the largest outbreaks in professional sports. Baltimore had tested positive for at least one player for 10 consecutive days and as a result had rescheduled two of his games multiple times.
The Ravens put a total of 23 players on the reserve / COVID-19 list from Nov. 23 to Dec. 2, including reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who tested positive for the coronavirus on Thanksgiving. The team was informed by the NFL that “at least four unique strains” of COVID-19 were found at the plant during the outbreak.
This led to the Ravens’ game against the Steelers being postponed three times and their game against the Cowboys being postponed twice.
“From the start, we’ve taken the virus seriously, very seriously,” Ravens president Dick Cass said in a statement earlier this month. “… Despite our best efforts, the protocol is only as effective as our weakest link. With a dangerous virus like this, everyone must obey the protocol to avoid infecting many. We now know that not everyone at the Ravens uses the protocol. followed thoroughly. “
The Ravens have only had a few positive tests since the outbreak. Baltimore currently has no players on the reserve / COVID-19 list.
NFL Network first reported the Ravens fine.