Why is the NFL acting like faking injuries during long-sustain drives is brand new? You see it a lot in college football. A lot more compared to the professional level. It’s mainly because they are trying to slow down the high pace offenses that we often see in college football. In a letter obtained by Pro Football Network, the league sent a warning on players that can assume the position of being injured during a game drive. The league is sending the memo out because they see a significant uptick in players going down with an “injury” to delay the game. Below is the notice sent to all 32 teams on what could happen if players are discovered to have fake injuries.
“The NFL continues to emphasize the importance of upholding the integrity of the game and competitive fairness as our highest priority,” the league memo stated. “We have observed multiple instances of clubs making a deliberate attempt to stop play unnecessarily this season. Any deliberate attempt by a team and/or player to stop play unnecessarily; prolong or delay the process; improperly take advantage of a stoppage in play; or influence the actions of an ATC Spotter will be’ considered an ‘unfair act’ and may result in discipline, in addition to any on-field penalty assessed by the Game Officials.”
“Clubs and individuals determined to be in violation of this rule will be subject to League discipline ‘to include a minimum fine of $350,000 for the club, a minimum fine of $100,000 for the head coach, a minimum fine of $50,000 for assistant coaches, if applicable, and a minimum fine of $50,000 for players,” the memo states. “Please be advised that violations of this rule may also result in suspensions of persons involved, and/or the forfeiture of a draft choice(s), including for first offenses. Clubs, club personnel (including head coaches and assistant coaches), and players have been held accountable for their actions this season.”
I have attached a video below with a few examples of what the league is looking for when they talk about “delay the process.” The last time that the NFL came down with punishment for faking an injury during live play was in 2012. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was fined $15,000 for faking an injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers. At the time, Sanders was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
