Two more NFL head coaches — Lovie Smith and Ron Rivera — have been fined for OTA practice violations.
Smith was fined $50,000 for conducting prohibited 1-on-1 offensive lineman vs. defensive lineman drills and Rivera $100,000 for excessive contact in practice drills. Washington also lost two OTA practices for the 2023 season, per ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy was fined earlier this week for similar violations.
The NFL world took to Twitter to react to this news.
“A small price to pay for the glory of 1-on-1s. Real ones know,” one fan wrote of the Texans’ fines.
“Wow! Football players hitting each other, shocker! Absolutely laughable,” another added.
“The #Commanders were fined $100k for excessive contact in practice drills. Are you serious #NFL!? This is football! Give me a break,” another said.
Live contact is prohibited during OTAs, per the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Teams are supposed to wait until training camp to put on pads and ramp up the intensity level.