NFL Strips Raiders Of Draft Pick, Fine Them & Jon Gruden $650K For COVID-19 Protocol Violations

The first NFL team to be stripped of a draft pick because of violations of COVID-19 protocols has finally happened.

On Thursday, it was reported by Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson that the Las Vegas Raiders were being stripped of a 6th-round pick in 2021 and fined, which is all related to Trent Brown’s positive test last month.

Sources: #NFL will fine the Las Vegas #Raiders $500,000 & coach Jon Gruden $150,000 and strip the team of a 6th round draft pick for COVID-19 protocol violations related to OT Trent Brown’s positive test in late October. Escalated fines/pick were due to being a “repeat offender”.

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) November 6, 2020

Trent Brown was returned to the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday, the second time he has been on the list after testing positive for the coronavirus two weeks ago. The Raiders made the move because Brown still has complications from the illness.

Brown had come off the list last week and was slated to start at Cleveland last Sunday, but a mishap while he was being administered a pregame IV resulted in an overnight hospital stay.

The 27-year-old has played 10 snaps or more in just 11 of 23 games for the Raiders since signing a four-year, $66 million free-agent contract in March 2019.