Oct 30, 2022; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: New England Patriots at New York Jets
(New York, NY) — There is a new Patriots rule-breaking scandal, but it is nothing compared to the past. New England was docked two days of OTA practices by the NFL on Wednesday for unspecified offseason violations.
On Thursday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that the NFLPA accused the Patriots of a “meeting violation.” They had an “optional” 15-minute special teams meeting early in the offseason, which was placed on the team’s internal schedule. The NFLPA reportedly thought this meeting’s inclusion on the official schedule signaled that it was actually mandatory.
In addition, Bill Belichick also was fined $50,000 by the league, according to a report Thursday from Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard.
Per NFL rules, all practices, workouts, and meetings held before a team’s mandatory mid-June minicamp are to be voluntary for players.
The NFL ruled that this reported infraction warranted the punishments doled out.
New England is no stranger to breaking rules – see Spygate Scandal in 2007.
The Pats were also found on numerous occasions videotaping opposing coach’s hand signals on the sidelines.
New England is coming off a 8-9 season and missing the playoffs for the second time in the past three years.
