The NFL has fined the Baltimore Ravens a quarter of a million dollars for COVID-19 protocol violations, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
The penalty is for Baltimore's role in the outbreak that happened within the team earlier in the season. Luckily for the Ravens, the league did not take away any future draft capital.
The team also previously suspended strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders for his alleged negligence in following the COVID-19 protocols. Saunders failed to disclose his symptoms and did not always wear a mask.
The outbreak certainly became a huge bump in the road for Baltimore. Nearly two dozen players were placed on the COVID-19 reserve list in the span of 10 days. This included reigning NFL MVP and superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The spread of the virus within the team caused multiple postponements of their highly anticipated matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The showdown between the two AFC North rivals had originally been scheduled to take place on Thanksgiving. Instead, it happened on an odd Wednesday night in early December. The then-undefeated Steelers won that particular matchup, 29-24.
Nonetheless, over a month after the outbreak, Baltimore still finds itself in the thick of the playoff race. The Ravens will need to win their final two contests to have a chance at a postseason berth. They should be able to take care of business as they close the season against the 5-9 New York Giants and the 3-10-1 Cincinnati Bengals.
However, Baltimore is not in control of its own destiny, so just winning doesn't automatically get them in. The Miami Dolphins currently own the No. 7 seed after their clutch victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night.
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