NFL Levies Massive Fine on Vikings Rival
Dustin Baker
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The NFL is taking a stand, evidently peeved and finished with nefarious in-game shenanigans that hinder the outcome of a game.
The league doled out a whopping $550,000 in fines to various personalities from the New Orleans Saints on Saturday, including defender Cameron Jordan, defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, head coach Dennis Allen, and the Saints, as an organization.
The offence? Faking an injury. In the 4th Quarter of a Week 13 showdown between the Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the aforementioned Jordan appeared to feign an injury. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady headed to the line of scrimmage in a 4th and 10 situation, while Jordan glanced at the sideline for apparent direction, put his knee in the grass, and acted hurt.
The NFL assessed a $350,000 fine to the Saints, $100,000 to the head coach, $50,000 to Nielsen, and $50,000 to Jordan (the main culprit). And these are the same Saints who were identified and punished for “BountyGate” 12 years ago when New Orleans tactically targeted Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre for injury in the 2009 NFC Championship. There’s a history of malfeasance.
Not for nothing, the Saints are going nowhere fast in 2022, owning a 4-9 record through Week 13 with a 0.7% of reaching the postseason, per FiveThirtyEight.com. New Orleans had a chance to keep [very] faint postseason hopes alive during Jordan’s fake-injury game, but the Saints were Brady-ed, as the future Hall of Fame passer led the Buccanneers back from a 16-3 deficit to win in the 4th Quarter. It was vintage Brady.
The Saints plan to appeal the astronomical fines, a perhaps dubious plan because the NFL seems rather serious about legislating fake injuries from the sport. Last week, Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates allegedly faked an injury, too, and he was docked $50,000 for the tomfoolery.
Jordan is the son of former Vikings tight end Steve Jordan. The father Jordan is Minnesota’s all-time leader in TE receiving yards, tabulating 6,307 in 13 seasons as a Viking.
The Vikings outlasted the Saints in London during a Week 4 matchup, 28-25.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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