NFL fines Jets, Mangini $125K total for breaking injury report rules
NFL.com Wire Reports
The NFL assessed $125,000 in fines to the New York Jets and former coach Eric Mangini on Wednesday for violating the league’s rules on reporting injuries last season.
The Jets failed to place quarterback Brett Favre, who’s now with the Minnesota Vikings, on the injury report during the final month of last season even though he had a torn biceps tendon.
The league announced it had fined the Jets $75,000 and Mangini and Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum $25,000 apiece. Mangini now coaches the Cleveland Browns.
“We have been fully cooperative with the League throughout this investigation and respect their decision,” the Jets announced in a statement.
Said Mangini in a statement released by the Browns: “I have worked with the league on this matter and now consider it closed. My focus is on our preparations for (Sunday’s game against) the Broncos.”
Hiding injuries could affect an opponent’s preparation, and the NFL has stepped up its policing of such practices. Commissioner Roger Goodell told NFL Network’s Rich Eisen on Wednesday that he had sent a memo to all 32 teams “making sure they understand the importance of this.”
“I believe in following the rules, whether it’s on the field of play or it’s our policies,” Goodell said. “We believe those rules should be followed, and if clubs don’t, or other personnel don’t, we will take disciplinary action. This is an important rule to the integrity of the game. All clubs are following the rule. And if someone violates it, we will discipline as we did with the Jets today.”
Last week, Tannenbaum admitted the Jets should have listed Favre as “probable” on their injury reports. That came one day after Favre said he believed he was hurting the Jets because of the injury and discussed it with the coaches and the front office. He said he would have been willing to sit out, even though that would have ended his streak of consecutive starts, which now stands at 270 games.