Roger Goodell does not mind being the villain. After all, he has built a substantial net worth despite drawing criticism for his disciplinary decisions. However, Goodell’s latest example of dealing out punishment does not involve a player violating league policy. Rather, the commissioner just taught NFL coaches a harsh $1.75 million lesson on wearing face masks.

Roger Goodell has no problem being a villain

Since becoming the commissioner of the NFL in 2006, Roger Goodell has made a number of highly-debated disciplinary decisions. While the league has experienced tremendous financial growth, it has also dealt with the PR backlash from several controversies.

Of course, the Ray Rice incident represents the biggest black mark on Goodell’s resume. The former Baltimore Ravens running back struck his then-fiancee before dragging her out of an elevator. Initially, Goodell suspended Rice for just two games, which sparked widespread criticism. The commissioner later reversed his decision and suspended Rice indefinitely.

Beyond suspending players for off-field incidents, the commissioner has also come under fire for how he handled Spygate. The infamous incident involving the New England Patriots allegedly videotaping opponents called into question Goodell’s loyalty to Robert Kraft. Many viewed the punishment handed down by the commissioner as incredibly light considering the allegations made against Bill Belichick and his team.

Finally, the issue of Colin Kaepernick’s employment has also caused many people to view Goodell unfavorably. The former NFL star has not played in the league since 2016. By taking a knee and openly expressing his opinions on police brutality, racial inequality, and social justice, Kaepernick essentially cost himself his career. While Goodell recently apologized to the former 49ers quarterback, some view the gesture as too little, too late.

The NFL has implemented strict COVID-19 policies this season

As the head of the NFL, Roger Goodell faces a ton of pressure this season to keep players, coaches, referees, and everyone else involved in football operations safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The league has implemented strict protocols regarding testing. To this point, that has helped prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

One of the measures implemented for the 2020 NFL season includes mandating the use of face masks on the sidelines. The league’s official game-day safety protocol provides clear instruction on the policy:

“All individuals with Bench Area Access, except for Players, shall be required to wear masks at all times. Coaches must wear either a mask, neck gaiter, and/or face shield to satisfy this obligation.”

Unfortunately for a handful of NFL coaches, they did not comply with the new mask policy. As a result, Roger Goodell just taught them a very expensive lesson.

Goodell just taught NFL coaches a harsh $1.75 million lesson

Sunday was a costly day at the office for three NFL coaches. Because they were not properly utilizing face coverings during their respective games, Pete Carroll, Vic Fangio, and Kyle Shanahan got fined $100,000 each by the NFL. In addition, their respective teams each got fined $250,000.

However, the bill only increased after an exciting Monday Night Football showdown between the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints. Despite having battled COVID-19 himself, Jon Gruden failed to properly wear his face mask. In addition, Sean Payton also failed to follow the league’s mask policy.

On Tuesday, Tom Pelissero reported via Twitter that the NFL fined both coaches $100,000 each. The league also imposed a $250,000 fine on both the Saints and Raiders. In total, the fines for Week 2 violations amounted to $1.75 million.

Leave it up to Roger Goodell to teach NFL coaches a very expensive lesson on wearing face masks.

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