The other shoe has fallen in regards to the New England Patriots’ punishment for their reported offseason violation.
According to the Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard, coach Bill Belichick was fined $50,000 for the infraction. That news comes a day after it was revealed the Patriots had been stripped of two voluntary organized team activity days on their schedule.
Thursday’s session, which was slated to be the first open to the media, was cancelled by the team on Wednesday. Another session next week is expected to also be cancelled.
It remains to be seen if that date will fall in line with the next scheduled open practice, which is slated for Wednesday, May 31.
Bill Belichick was fined $50,000 as part of the Patriots’ offseason violations, according to a league source.
— Greg A. Bedard (@GregABedard) May 25, 2023
Through a source, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported on Thursday that the violation stemmed from a special teams meeting.
This isn’t the first time the Patriots have been at the center of controversy, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some run with the news as if the team committed something more nefarious.
But as of right now, it appears to be little more than a paperwork issue. The Patriots reportedly made a 15-minute meeting visible on a schedule, which made it seem “mandatory” instead of “optional” in a voluntary setting.
