The NFL is concluding its investigation of the New England’ Patriots’ videotaping scandal, stemming from the team’s recording of the Cincinnati Bengals sideline during Week 14 of the NFL season in December, according to the The Boston Globe.
The league seems to be wrapping up its interviews, and they will proceed with their final evaluation of the findings.
The Patriots have admitted to wrongdoing, though they said the rule-breaking was inadvertent. The team sent a Patriots.com production team to film a documentary series on an advance scout, and the field producer, who is not affiliated with the Patriots football operations, didn’t know he was violating the league’s rules.
Here’s what The Globe reported on the latest with the league:
Last week, NFL Security completed what was believed to be the final interview with a Patriots employee. Now the security officials must write up their report, then hand it up the chain of command, where it will eventually land on the desk of commissioner Roger Goodell, who will approve of a final course of action.
There is still no precise timetable for a release of the findings, but it is drawing close. The NFL declined to comment on the investigation.
Because the Patriots went through the Spygate scandal during the early 2000s, the team is likely to face a punishment, even if the league finds no wrongdoing by Bill Belichick or the team’s football operations. New England can probably expect a fine, a small loss of draft capital or both. The timeline for the NFL’s decision is still unclear, however.
