The NFL said Tuesday night that it fined Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Allen Lazard each $14,650 for attending a Halloween party while unvaccinated.
A league spokesman said Rodgers and Lazard were in violation of NFL and NFL Players Association Covid-19 protocols that prohibit players from gathering outside club facilities in groups of more than the three players. They were fined according to the discipline schedule outlined in the protocols.
The NFL also fined the Packers $300,000 for Covid-19 protocol violations, including its involvement in that party, the league spokesperson said.
The league alleged the Packers knew about the party, which was not sanctioned by the team, but failed report violations to the NFL.
Rodgers recently announced he contracted Covid-19, and he’s been outspoken about treating the disease with unproven methods. The reigning league MVP has been sidelined from play.
The 37-year-old also came under fire for claiming to be “immunized” when he was not vaccinated. In an interview on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers said that he takes “full responsibility” if people felt misled about his vaccination status.
Lazard had been temporarily placed on the team’s Covid-19 reserve list as an unvaccinated close contact of someone who had tested positive, according to NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk. He was back on the active roster by Nov. 1.
Rodgers, who didn’t wear a mask at a recent press conference, would not face fines for that.
“While the review showed a few isolated instances of Rodgers and Allen Lazard failing to wear a mask in facility, they were substantially compliant otherwise,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told ProFootballTalk. “There was no widespread or systemic mask-wearing violations.”
The NFL let the Packers and the players know that future violations could be met with escalated discipline, including a possible change of draft position for the team, the league spokesman said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
