Broncos' Head Coach Vic Fangio Breaks Silence on NFL's Hefty $100K Fine

For not wearing his mask as often as he should on gameday, Vic Fangio was hit hard by the NFL with a $100K fine. The head coach addressed the topic on Wednesday.

On Monday, the NFL handed down a hefty fine to Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio in the amount of $100,000. It also came with a $250K fine to the team. 

It's an unprecedented hit to a head coach's pocketbook from the league, and one many have viewed as excessive. The NFL is making quick examples out of the NFL head coaches who don't wear their masks on gameday per the new COVID-19 protocols. 

For the first time since the fine was levied, we got to hear from Fangio on Wednesday. He took responsibility for the fine, acknowledging he didn't perfectly obey the rule, and vowed to improve. 

“I’m going to have to do better with that," Fangio said on Wednesday. "What happens during the game—obviously, I’m calling the defense and I have to pull it down to communicate it so it can be sent in to the players. When the officials come over and talk to me, they pull their mask down and I pull mine down to talk to them. When I have my mask up, after 8-10 seconds, it starts fogging my glasses, so I have to pull it down. All those times when I pull it down, I have to do better at getting it back up more than I have been. It’s all been subconsciously happening during the game.”

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Fangio is 62 years old and likely has to wear his glasses on gameday to see the call-sheet and the field. Millions of Americans share in Fangio's plight of having the mask fog up the glasses. 

But, unless he wants to give away that fat head coach's contract he toiled nearly four decades in the NFL to earn, Fangio's going to have to be more cognizant and disciplined with the wearing of the mask on gameday. Although many outside the building have deemed the NFL's fine as excessive, Fangio won't go there. 

“The league determines the fine amounts," Fangio said. "We abide by them and that’s it.”

Like Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, Fangio is going to consider switched to a face shield so that he doesn't have to try to remember to slip the mask up and down during the game. 

“Yeah, I’m going to consider that," Fangio said. "Matter of fact, I was going to use it in the first game of the season, but late in the process, I decided not to.”

That's another decision the coach likely rues at this point. These fines are more about the optics and PR maneuverings than they are about any real concern to player/team safety. The NFL has done a great job crushing COVID-19 and keeping it out of team facilities but the league also wants to be seen by the public as strictly abiding by the social distancing and PPE guidelines. 

Message received loud and clear. 

Next up for Fangio and company are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by QB Tom Brady. The Broncos are home underdogs once again. Fangio will have his hands full. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.