The problem for the Buccaneers is that if Brady played the whole season with an MCL tear, then he must have been noted on the groups injury report each week during the season. From the leagues handbook: ” All players who have reportable injuries should be listed on the practice report, even if the gamer takes all the associates in practice, and even if the group is specific that he will play in the approaching game. This is especially real of crucial gamers.”
The issue for the Buccaneers is that if Brady played the whole season with an MCL tear, then he needs to have been listed on the groups injury report each week throughout the season.” It was an injury I dealt with really since last April, May,” Brady said.” The NFL has shown it will penalize groups that hide injuries, especially in high profile situations. Big Ben missed a practice leading up to the game with an elbow injury, however the Steelers never ever listed the injury. The NFL discovered out about the injury after Steelers backup quarterback Mason Rudolph noted that Roethlisberger was suffering elbow pain in the lead up to Pittsburghs Week 2 game versus Seattle.
The “no comment” does not imply the Buccaneers wont be punished. What it most likely ways is that the NFL is going to look into the scenario.
” It was an injury I dealt with actually since last April, May,” Brady stated.” The NFL has shown it will punish teams that hide injuries, especially in high profile situations. Huge Ben missed out on a practice leading up to the video game with an elbow injury, however the Steelers never noted the injury.
The italicized portion of the above quote is actually UNDERLINED in the leagues operations manual.” An offense of the policy might result in Commissioner discipline, which may consist of a fine on the included club, fines or suspensions of involved individuals, as well as the possible forfeit of draft choices by the included club,” the leagues rulebook states.
The Roethlisberger circumstance just involved one week of practice reports and the Steelers still got hit with a major fine, so it would not be unexpected if Tampa Bay gets struck with something similar or perhaps even larger, since the Buccaneers went a whole year without acknowledging Bradys injury on their practice reports. The NFL doesnt have a long history of penalizing teams for practice report offenses, but like Favre and Big Ben, this is such a high-profile case that the league might wind up deciding to make an example of the Buccaneers..