TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' players are running up a tab on ownership.
The Bucs already have ensured that the Glazer family will remit at least $50,000 to the NFL. As part of the NFL’s policy to “promote player safety by encouraging clubs to teach proper techniques and to correct improper and dangerous play by their players,’’ teams now are required to pay a fine if their players ring up too many fines for on-field actions.
The league keeps a tab starting with the first preseason game and running through each team’s last game. If a club’s total of on-field fines reaches $105,000, the team is required to remit $50,000 to the NFL. If a team’s season total reaches $157,500, the club shall remit an additional $25,000 and must match any subsequent fines for the remainder of the season.
Not all fines are revealed. But we know that Bucs safety Dashon Goldson was fined $100,000 for a hit on Darren Sproles in Week 2, which came on the heels of a $30,000 fine for a hit on Jeff Cumberland in Week 1. Safety Ahmad Black was fined $21,000 for a Week 2 hit, and linebacker Lavonte David was fined $7,875 for a Week 1 hit.
That means the Bucs have compiled at least $158,875 in individual fines. Under the policy, the maximum calculation for any fine is $50,000 (Goldson’s $100,000 fine falls into that category). That means the Bucs’ tab currently stands is at least $108,875 in the NFL's eyes.
At the end of the season, ownership will be writing a check for at least $50,000, and that number may grow if the Bucs keep piling up fines.
