NFL Fines Patriots For COVID-19 Violations; Saints Get Worse Punishment

Do the punishments fit the crimes?

The Saints and Patriots, two organizations who know how it feels to be punished by the NFL, once again have felt the brunt of Roger Goodell's gavel.

The NFL recently punished both teams for COVID-19 violations, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning: New England was fined $350,000; New Orleans was fined $500,000 and docked a future seventh-round draft pick. The Patriots' punishment stems from issues surrounding their COVID-19 outbreak in October whereas the Saints were forced to answer for a maskless locker room celebration in early November.

Here are the details:

Sources: The #Patriots were fined $350K for COVID-19 protocol violations stemming from issues in October when Cam Newton & others tested positive.

The #Saints were fined $500K and docked a 7th round pick for their mask-less locker room celebration. They are repeat offenders.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 29, 2020

Will those penalties be enough to persuade both teams to more strictly enforce the NFL's protocols? That remains to be seen.

The Patriots on Sunday will host the Arizona Cardinals while the Saints will visit the Denver Broncos, who are dealing with their own COVID-19 issues.