The New Orleans Saints received a $500,000 fine and were docked a seventh-round draft pick, while the New England Patriots received a fine totalling $350,000
Sunday 29 November 2020 22:37, UK
The NFL has fined the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots for violating COVID-19 protocols, a league source said on Sunday.
The Saints, who are repeat offenders, were fined $500,000 for not wearing protective masks during a post-game celebration.
According to the NFL's website, the Saints were also docked a seventh-round draft pick.
The source added that the Patriots, who beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-17 on Sunday to improve to 5-6, were fined $350,000 stemming from mask protocol violations at the team facility in early October.
The COVID-19 outbreak has caused several disruptions to the NFL's 2020 season schedule, most recently this week when the Baltimore Ravens had their game with the Pittsburgh Steelers rescheduled twice because of an outbreak within the team.
Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos started practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton at quarterback on Sunday against the Saints, as all four quarterbacks on their roster are unavailable for COVID-19 related reasons.
Earlier this month the league made mask usage mandatory on the sidelines in a bid to reduce the threat of coronavirus transmission.
However, coronavirus continues to cause a headache for the league, as rising case numbers in the San Francisco area forced Santa Clara County to prohibit contact practices and games for three weeks.
The measures could force the San Francisco 49ers to seek an alternative home for two of their December fixtures against the Buffalo Bills and Washington Football Team.
