Sean Payton, Saints to receive hefty face covering fines from NFL

The Saints and Head Coach Sean Payton are going to see their pockets come up a little short this week, as they're being fined by the NFL. According to a Tuesday afternoon report by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Payton and the Saints, as well as Jon Gruden and the Raiders will all receive fines for failing to properly wear face coverings in the bench area on Monday Night Football.

The cost is big, as each coach will receive a $100,000 fine, while each team will get a $250,000 fine. This brings the league total up to $1.75 million levied in fines for failing to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols.

The league reportedly sent strong warnings to clubs in Week 1, and this round of fines has includes the Broncos (Vic Fangio), the 49ers (Kyle Shanahan), and the Seahawks (Pete Carroll) in addition to these latest ones. Their latest data from the league indicated that from September 13-19, 36,665 tests were administered to a total of 7,845 players and team personnel. Further data showed that 14,074 tests were administered to 2,438 players while 22,590 tests were administered to 5,407 personnel. The bottom line? There were zero confirmed positive tests among all players and five new confirmed positives among other personnel.

Payton revealed that he tested positive for the coronavirus in mid-March, but made a full recovery. He was the first big football name to contract COVID-19, but certainly not the last. Saints owner Gayle Benson also tested positive at the end of August, but also made a full recovery.

Commissioner Roger Goodell was in attendance for the Raiders debut game in Allegiant Stadium.