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The NFL has concluded its investigation into the Green Bay Packers’ breach of COVID-19 protocols and rival teams are not happy with the resolution on the matter.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Packers have been fined $300,000 and Aaron Rodgers was docked $14,000 for violating Covid-19 protocol.
The NFL’s review of the Packers’ COVID-19 protocols is done.
Per league source, Packers fined$300,000 for violations of the NFL and NFL Players Association protocols, while Aaron Rodgers and Allen Lazard were each fined $14,650.
Full story coming on ESPN momentarily
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) November 10, 2021
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio is reporting that team’s around the league are “outraged” that Rodgers and the Packers only got a slap on the wrist.
The slap on the wrist for the Packers and Aaron Rodgers for multiple blatant violations of the COVID protocol isn't going over well in league circles; as one source with another team said, "That's bullshit." https://t.co/tKOfm0t5th
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 10, 2021
Rodgers repeatedly violated COVID protocols by not wearing a mask during press conferences in the facility; the NFL now admits that. But the league claims the Packers should have been enforcing the protocols, and the league refuses to regard multiple violations as “repeat” violations. The Packers never fined Rodgers for the violations, and it presumably won’t do it now.
As one source put it on Tuesday night, “That’s bullshit.” If, for example, someone engages in shoplifting twice a week every week for eight weeks, the person has committed 16 violations of the shoplifting laws. There should be 16 penalties.
Rodgers, however, got one penalty — for attending the team’s Halloween party. And the prior violations will go unpunished. Given that multiple teams faced multiple punishments last year (the Saints eventually lost a 2022 sixth-round draft pick), it comes off as favoritism for the Packers.
It does seem like Rodgers might be available to play this weekend and we can put all this drama behind us.