The NFL’s $100,000 fines to five head coaches -- and $250,000 fines to their teams -- showed how serious the league is about its risk-mitigation efforts.
The NFL made it crystal clear with a Friday night memo to teams reminding them about game-day protocols, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.
The memo emphasized face covering requirements and the penalties for not adhering to them.
“The League will continue to closely monitor compliance and impose discipline on cubs and individuals who violate this rule,” the memo reads.
It also states players who are not substituting into the game are “strongly encouraged” to wear masks on the sideline, noting some state and local regulations mandate the wearing of face coverings.
“All individuals except for active players in the bench area, are required to wear face coverings at all times on game day, including on the sidelines and in the coaches’ booth,” the memo states, underlining and using bold type on “in the coaches’ booth.”
Jon Gruden, Vic Fangio, Sean Payton, Pete Carroll and Kyle Shanahan were the five coaches fined after Week Two. A warning came after non-compliance by many coaches in Week One.
Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, explained this week why coaches were required to wear face coverings despite daily tests for COVID-19.