The New Orleans Saints were fined $500,000 by the NFL and will lose a 7th round draft pick after the team’s maskless locker room celebration after defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The team has appealed the ruling, ESPN reported.
Saints are fined $500,000 and have a 7th-round draft pick taken away for post-game maskless celebrations after win in Tampa, sources tell ESPN.https://t.co/srjLEuOb6w
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 29, 2020
The team was under scrutiny after video shared to social media by receiver Tre’Quan Smith shows multiple teammates, including Demario Davis, Jameis Winston and coach Sean Payton dancing Nov. 8 after the Saints lopsided 38-3 victory over the Bucs. Other players also posted celebration videos to social media. The team has removed any similar videos from its official social media accounts.
This is not the first time the Saints have been fined by the league for violating its coronavirus protocols.
Earlier in the season, Payton was fined $100,000 for not wearing a mask on the sideline of a game against the Raiders, WVUE reported. The team was also fined $250,000 for the incident.
The Saints are also not the only team to face discipline by the league for violations.
The Raiders were fined $500,000, coach Jon Gruden fined $100,000, and the team was docked a sixth-round pick earlier in the season. The Patriots were fined $350,000 after Cam Newton, and other players tested positive for the virus in October, ESPN reported.
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