Raiders Lose Draft Pick and Fined $500K for Violating COVID-19 Protocol

Report: Raiders, Jon Gruden Fined a Combined $650,000 Due to COVID-19 Protocol Violations

CINCINNATI — The Las Vegas Raiders didn't learn their lesson the first time. 

The NFL fined the Raiders and  Jon Gruden in September after the veteran head coach didn't wear his mask on the sidelines. The organization was fined $250,000 and Gruden was fined $100,000. 

The league came down on Las Vegas much worse on Thursday night. They're taking away their 2021 sixth-round draft pick and fining the Raiders $500,000 for repeated violations of COVID-19 protocol according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports.

The violations are related to Trent Brown's positive coronavirus test in late October. 

Gruden is being fined $150,000 for not consistently wearing his mask on the sidelines. 

Raiders players attended a large indoor gathering and the team allowed an unauthorized person into its locker room after a game. 

The escalated fines and loss of a draft pick was due to the Raiders being a "repeat offender" of the NFL's COVID-19 safety protocols.

For comparison, the Titans were fined $350,000 by the NFL for their violations that led to an outbreak last month. The league came down much harder on the Raiders since they had violated protocols multiple times. 

Gruden isn't the only head coach that has been fined for not wearing a mask on the sidelines. Denver's Vic Fangio, Seattle's Pete Carroll, San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan and New Orleans' Sean Payton were also fined in September. 

Las Vegas is second the AFC West with a 4-3 record. They're coming off of a 16-6 win over the Browns.

The Raiders play rookie quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers this weekend in Los Angeles.

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