The NFL announced the fines Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard, and the Green Bay Packers would receive for their role in breaching the league’s Covid protocols, and unsurprisingly, it’s all exceptionally weak. In another case of double standards when it comes to rule enforcement, the league might as well have let off the parties with no penalty.
The NFL fined Aaron Rodgers for COVID violations and the punishment is a joke
Why do anything at all?
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Rodgers and Lazard will each be fined $14,650, the Packers will be fined $300,000 for enabling the pair to breach protocols. Rodgers has not worn a mask in press conferences all season, despite rules mandating unvaccinated players must be masked. In addition, Rodgers and Lazard were found to be in routine breach of the league’s protocols for unvaccinated players while inside the Packers facility, and the team did not report that the pair attended a Halloween party.
To Rodgers the $14,650 fine represents 0.0006 percent of his 2021 earnings. To put this in context, to someone making $45,000 a year he was fined $27.
The toothless, ineffective fine makes it so nobody should really care about violating the league’s rules on Covid. The only thing teams actually pay attention to is the loss of draft picks, something the Saints had happen to them when they violated Covid protocols last year.
In the case of the Saints the team held one meeting where players did not wear masks, and celebrated a win in Week 9 where players did not wear masks. The team was fined held several maskless meetings and had a locker room celebration where players didn’t wear masks. They were fined $500,000 and docked a seventh round draft pick. This was for two incidents.
By comparison, the Packers allowed Rodgers, Lazard and other unvaccinated players to breach league rules for three months, as well as not reporting the Halloween party. They were fined less, and did not lose a draft pick.
As for the league’s reasoning: They reportedly “took the Packers cooperation into consideration,” which is kind of hilarious you can thumb your nose at the league, then be nice after you get caught and suddenly much is forgiven.
It’s always nice to get preferential treatment.
See More:
