NFL Slaps Jets And Former Coach Mangini With Fines Over Favre Injury

NFL News - September 17th, 2009 - Written by Scott

Failing to report an injury has turned out to hit the pockets of the New York Jets and former head coach Eric Mangini, now the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.  The NFL has elected to fine the Jets $75,000 for failing to report an injury to former quarterback Brett Favre during the last month of last year's season.  In addition, Mangini and Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum were fined $25,000 each.  Favre had a torn bicep tendon during the last month of last year's season and the organization failed to list him on the injury report.  Hiding a players injury is against the league's policy and can also affect the opponent's game preparation.  NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has sent a letter to all NFL teams outlining how important this issue can be.

"I believe in following the rules, whether it's on the field of play or it's our policies," Goodell said. "We believe those rules should be followed, and if clubs don't, or other personnel don't, we will take disciplinary action. This is an important rule to the integrity of the game. All clubs are following the rule. And if someone violates it, we will discipline as we did with the Jets today."

Favre, who now is with the Minnesota Vikings, had discussed his injury with the coaching staff and the organization last year.  His streak of consecutive starts did not play into the situation as he has said that he would have been more that willing to sit out as he believed that his injury was hurting the Jets.  Tannenbaum has said that they should have listed Favre as "probable" on the team's injury report.  He has taken the blame for this incident but also says that there was never any doubt that Favre would play.  He also stated that he believed that the injury was not severe enough to list him on the injury report because Favre was not receiving treatment for it.  Mangini said he has always followed the rules of the league as it pertains to listing injuries.

"That was true there (in New York). It's true here (in Cleveland)," Mangini said. "It'll be true every week of the season and that's how we approach it."

Favre did finish out the season and did not miss a game.  However, the team did stumble down the final stretch of the season. They lost four of their last five games after starting the season 8-3 and Favre had nine interceptions during this five game span. 

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