NFL fines Raiders $20K for injury-report mishap
October 18, 2018 - 12:18 pm
The NFL has fined the Raiders $20,000 for a recent violation of the league’s injury-report policy.
On Oct. 6, the Raiders flew from Oakland for a game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Carson, California. Left guard Kelechi Osemele, who was listed “questionable” with a right knee injury, did not make the trip. A team is required to downgrade a player who doesn’t travel to “out.” On this occasion, the club did not.
It’s a fairly minor administrative error, the sort of which has league precedent.
In 2012, three NFL teams in the same month were fined $20,000 for an irregularity with the injury report.
That October, the Baltimore Ravens were docked for not having listed safety Ed Reed on the injury report with a torn labrum. The Washington Redskins Redskins were determined not to have adequately disclosed information regarding a concussion to quarterback Robert Griffin III. The Buffalo Bills did not list a player, defensive end Mario Williams, on the injury report for a sprained wrist.
The Raiders’ situation was fairly straightforward, given the language in the NFL’s injury-report policy.
It stipulates as follows: “A player who is listed as ‘Questionable’ or ‘Doubtful’ on the Game Status Report and does not travel to a road game due to injury must be updated to ‘Out.’ The club must immediately notify its local media, The Associated Press, its opponent’s Public Relations Director, and the NFL Communications Department.”
Osemele has missed the past two games. He is expected to return Oct. 28 against the Indianapolis Colts.
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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.