Saints stripped of 2022 draft pick for COVID violations

Sean Payton's Saints lose another draft pick due to COVID violations. Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Saints stripped of 2022 draft pick for violating COVID-19 protocols

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 3/20/21

The New Orleans Saints’ repeated breaches of COVID-19 protocols have cost them another draft pick.

The NFL announced Saturday that the Saints have been fined $700,000 and stripped of a sixth-round draft pick in 2022 for violating the league’s health and safety protocols.

From the NFL: The #Saints will forfeit their sixth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft and will be fined $700,000 for violations of the NFL-NFLPA COVID protocols during the 2020 season.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 20, 2021

This punishment likely stems from Alvin Kamara’s positive test, with video depicting the running back interacting with a non-team employee within the team’s facilities.

Remarkably, this is the third time the Saints have been disciplined under the COVID-19 protocols. The organization was fined over Sean Payton’s mask-wearing early in the season and was previously stripped of a seventh-round pick for another violation.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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