Bill Feig / Associated Press
The New Orleans Saints will have to forfeit a choice in the 2022 NFL draft after violations of COVID-19 during the 2020 season.
According to NFL Networks Ian Rapoport, the NFL announced that the Saints will make a sixth-round pick in 2022, in addition to paying a $ 700,000 fine.
According to Tom Pelissero and Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Saints violated COVID-19 protocols on three separate occasions during the 2020 campaign.
Saints head coach Sean Payton did not wear his face properly in Week 2, which resulted in a $ 250,000 fine for the team and a $ 100,000 fine for Payton, and the team had a maskless celebration after a win in Week 9, which resulted in a $ 500,000 fine.
The third offense caused a person who was COVID-19 positive and was not employed by the team to enter the team facility and infect Alvin Kamara, the feedback. The interaction was captured on video.
As a result, Kamara and essentially the entire Saints running team had to miss the team’s week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers.
It was also originally announced that the Saints had selected a seventh round in 2021 due to their second offense, but the NFL later revoked the penalty.
Instead, the Saints will be a draft pick in the 2022 NFL draft due to repeated violations.
While several teams have been fined for violations of the COVID-19 protocol during the 2020 season, the Saints are the only team so far forced to lose a draft pick.