NFL fines five head coaches $100K each for not wearing masks on sidelines

NFL fines three head coaches $100K for not wearing masks on sidelines

CINCINNATI — The NFL fined three head coaches for not wearing masks on the sidelines during the game in Week 2. 

Denver's Vic Fangio, Seattle's Pete Carroll and San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan were each fined $100,000 for not wearing masks on the sidelines according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Their teams were fined another $250,000 according to the report.

The NFL also fined Saints head coach Sean Payton and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden on Tuesday following Las Vegas' win over New Orleans on Monday Night Football. Both organizations were also fined $250,000.

This is clearly a rule that the league is going to enforce. They issued $1.75 million in fines for mask violations in Week 2.

The league sent a memo to every team after Week 1 reminding coaches that they needed to wear a face covering — either a mask or a shield — while on the sidelines. 

"I think you have to consider everything. It’s your livelihood," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said last week. "We live off the communication in a critical moment and you want to be able to speak clearly. We gotta continue to work on the best way to make that happen."

Taylor wore a neck sleeve face covering on Thursday against the Browns. Other coaches like Kansas City's Andy Reid have opted to wear a face shield. 

Every NFL coach is in the same COVID-19 protocol as the players, but the league wants every coach to wear a face covering for the duration of the game. 

Taylor and the other 31 head coaches need to be diligent. If they don't abide by the rules, then they're going to have to pay a hefty price. 

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