NFL Fines Titans for COVID Protocol Violations
NASHVILLE – The matter is closed.
It is time for the Tennessee Titans to open their checkbook.
The NFL fined the Titans $350,000 for COVID-19 protocol violations, according to SI.com senior NFL reporter Albert Breer. No additional fines were assessed to individuals and no other penalties were levied against the team.
The NFL and NFL Players’ Association investigated the Titans (or they conducted a thorough review, depending on who you listened to) for the team’s adherence to the league’s COVID-19 protocols, amid the recent outbreak during which two dozen players and staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. The situation forced two games to be postponed, including Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers (both teams are 5-0) that originally was scheduled for Week 4.
Franchise officials have publicly admitted that enforcing the proper use of facemasks within the team facility has not always gone smoothly. Players also got together for informal workouts on a day the facility was shut down and they were told to remain separate from one another.
The Titans have been operating under the league’s “post-exposure” protocols for the last two weeks. That requires virtual meetings, limits the number of players in the weight room at any time as well as other enhanced measures. Team officials said they took extra steps to ensure social distancing and limited exposure within the facility.
This was the team’s first full practice week since their victory at Minnesota on Sept. 27 and as of Tuesday, no players are on the team’s COVID-19 reserve list.
Coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson maintained throughout the investigation that the team was open and honest and that all players and coaches were made available to answer questions.
“We've been extremely transparent with both groups with our situation as they try to piece things together so that we can put some things in place that this doesn't happen again,” Robinson said. “… I would say that we were transparent with the league with everything.”
