Mark Davis rips NFL over Raiders’ punishment

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis vowed to fight the NFL’s punishment over the team’s failure to follow COVID-19 protocols.

The Raiders received an extensive fine and were stripped of a draft pick by the NFL on Friday after it was determined the franchise had repeatedly violated league safety protocols. You can see the complete list of punishments here.

On Friday afternoon, Davis said he intended to appeal the fines, and defended the organization’s handling of COVID-19.

“The fines are draconian,” Davis told ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “But we will appeal them. Outside the organization, people have the wrong impression about the Raiders. We take it seriously. It’s unfortunate that certain things outside the protocol are the things being focused on, rather than the positive steps we’ve taken as an organization. You’ve been in the building. You’ve seen it.”

Davis alluded to daily testing and temperature checks, as well as requirements to wear a mask and a tracker if entering the team’s facilities.

Unfortunately for Davis, that may be true, but it’s not why the Raiders were punished. Many members of the team attended a large indoor event without masks, which is a significant violation of league protocols. The NFL also accused the Raiders of allowing an unauthorized individual in the locker room after a game. Those are significant violations that have nothing to do with the precautions the Raiders took around their team facility.