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Bill Belichick will lose more than two days of OTA practices for a reported violation.
The NFL stripped the New England Patriots of two voluntary OTA sessions, including one scheduled for Thursday. According to Greg A. Bedard of Boston Sports Journal, the league also fined Belichick $50,000.
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
A source told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio the punishment resulted in an improper special teams meeting. The Patriots placed the meeting on an internal schedule, signaling to the NFL Players Association that it was mandatory.
It could be worse for Belichick. Last year, the league fined Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera $100,000 for conducting spring drills with excessive contact. They also lost two OTA practices.
The financial penalty isn’t a major hit for the NFL’s highest-paid coach. A $50,000 fine accounts for .0025 percent of Belichick’s $20 million salary this season, so the 71-year-old likely cares more about missing time to prepare his team after missing the playoffs in 2022.