On the surface, the Patriots losing a pair of OTA practices for violating NFL offseason meeting rules didn’t seem like much of a big deal. If anything, the punishment seemed like a bit of an overreach by the NFL.
And maybe it was. But the more we learn about the story, the more interesting it becomes.
New England was forced to cancel Thursday’s OTA practice — which reporters were supposed to attend — and an additional session scheduled for next Tuesday. The Patriots reportedly violated terms of the NFL-NFLPA collective bargaining agreement by holding “special teams workshops” in early May that forced players to stay at Gillette Stadium longer than the permitted four hours per day during Phase 2 of offseason programs. A separate report indicated the workshops were communicated in a manner that made them seem mandatory, rather than voluntary.
Joe Judge, now helping coach New England’s special teams, reportedly is to blame, but it’s Bill Belichick who reportedly will be fined $50,000.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported that an NFLPA representative observed the infractions and reported them to the league/NFLPA. However, some wonder whether it was a Patriots player/players who took issue with what New England was doing and contacted the league.
That brings us to this note from NFL reporter Mike Giardi, who corroborated reporting from Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard about Judge’s involvement:
“Can Confirm this,” Giardi tweeted. “And also note that — per sources — the players were aware they were being asked to stay longer than allowed. Did they help alert the PA? I don’t have that answer as of now.”
So, did a player tattle on Judge and the Patriots?
As of right now, we have no idea. Either way, Belichick is scheduled to speak with reporters next Wednesday, and he no doubt will field questions about his team’s latest drama.
