The first few weeks of the NFL season had seen several head coaches take heavy fines for violating the league’s sideline COVID-19 protocol.
NFL rules require all coaches and non-player personnel to wear face coverings on the sidelines, and no coach has seemingly struggled with that concept more than Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden.
Gruden had already been fined $100,000 for violating the policy, and the Raiders were fined once again for breaking locker room rules. The Raiders’ non-compliance had gotten so bad that CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported that the Raiders were likely to lose a draft pick.
With all that in mind, you might expect Gruden to wear a mask properly for Week 4’s game against the Bills. But, uh, about that …
Is Jon Gruden even going to take a salary this year after all the mask fines? pic.twitter.com/N8MSHqshPZ
— Andrew Joseph (@AndyJ0seph) October 4, 2020
Gruden putting the mask up so he doesn't get fined. pic.twitter.com/qZCiLdK9by
— Fairweather Marvin (@MAD_Marvin) October 4, 2020
Gruden was captured on camera several times during Sunday’s game with his mask down by his chin. He seemingly fixed his mask when a coach on the headset informed him he was on camera.
While plenty of fans were critical of the NFL requiring masks on the sidelines, the outbreak within in the Tennessee Titans should show why these steps are being taken. Tests aren’t a foolproof system given the possibility of false-negative results. So, these masks serve a purpose.
Gruden has had four weeks to get this right, and he’s still struggling. The NFL won’t appreciate that.
