Three prominent NFL coaches facing $250,000 fines for 'conduct toward game officials'

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn are all facing potential $250,000 fines for conduct toward game officials, according to a report from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer on Wednesday. 

The news came from the NFL's owners' meetings this week, but it is not known when the fines were handed out or for what specific infractions.

Fines toward NFL coaches could still be reduced or taken away

Along with the news of the fines, Breer also noted that the fines are potentially in abeyance, which means they are technically on hold and could still be repealed with good behavior.

From Breer:

"Inside the meeting room, the league did address the heightening tension between coaches, players and officials on the game field. They cited examples, including this news: Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, Jets coach Aaron Glenn and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni were fined $250,000 for conduct toward officials.

That, of course, is a pretty stiff penalty and a clear statement. I’ve also heard that the fines are in abeyance, meaning they’d be on hold, and could be repealed with good behavior.

As EVP of football operations, Troy Vincent also mentioned in his press availability a discussion of sportsmanship in the game, following talks with the NFLPA about the celebration fines that were assessed then rescinded (Kyle Juszczyk’s being the most prominent of them) earlier in the year."

That is a massive fine amount, and shows that the NFL is taking a pretty hardline stance on what it deems to be appropriate behavior from everybody on the field every week. 

It is also another potential example that the league is very much in a message-sending phase and seems to be taking a "fine first, ask questions later" mentality to it all.

The league handed out several celebration fines to players for pretending to take drinks on the field, but later rescinded them when they realized how foolish the fines actually looked.

The league also seems to be aware that tensions between coaches, players and referees are devolving into a rather toxic working relationship. While handing out potential fines to coaches, the league has also suspended two officials for their conduct directed at players. 

The NFL is a highly competitive environment, and game days are especially stressful for everybody involved given the stakes. Sometimes those tensions boil over too much. The league seems to want to put a stop to it. The best way to get the attention of everybody involved is to start taking away money, and a lot of it, when they cross the line.