NFL unloads on Jerry Jones with completely unprecedented punishment
To date, the biggest fine that the NFL has ever levied against a team or owner is $1 million.
That dubious distinction goes to the New England Patriots and team owner Robert Kraft. The NFL dropped the hammer on the team following the “Deflategate” scandal, fining the team a record amount and also stripping the team of draft picks. It was a very hefty punishment that some would argue is befitting a team with a reputation for habitual rule-bending.
That $1 million penalty against the Patriots is still the biggest fine in NFL history.
But it is no longer the biggest financial hit levied against a team or owner by the league.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has reimbursed the NFL more than $2 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and others.
“After a hearing with the Commissioner and the Finance Committee, the matter of the reimbursement of legal fees has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties,” the NFL said in a statement via ESPN.
The NFL statement did not include the exact financial details of the settlement, but multiple reports cited the $2 million figure.
Suffice to say, Jones’ appeal hearing Monday on the reimbursement fees did not go in his favor.
The NFL’s unprecedented financial move against Jones stems from behavior that was labeled detrimental to the league.
Specifically, it was seeking reimbursement of the legal fees the league and some of its owners incurred when Jones twice took legal action against them.
The first, and more publicized, legal action was when the Cowboys and a team of high-priced lawyers fought tooth and nail to keep superstar running back Ezekiel Elliott from serving a six-game suspension.
The second legal issue arose when Jones unsuccessfully tried to impede Commissioner Roger Goodell’s contract extension. Demanding more accountability in the wake of Goodell’s handling of Elliott’s suspension, Jones did everything in his power to slow down Goodell’s new deal. That included the threat of suing the league and its Compensation Committee to halt any progress made toward Goodell’s new deal.
Understandably, the other owners in the Compensation Committee and Goodell were not happy with Jones. There were even reports of a potential “nuclear option” that could’ve tried to remove Jones as owner of the Cowboys.
While things never got that far, the league still incurred significant legal fees both fighting and preparing to fight against Jones.
He neglected to mention what denomination he would pay it in. #Pennies
— Ben Holton (@bholtongeorgia) March 7, 2018
The reimbursement fees cap off a tumultuous and painfully disappointing season for Jones and his Cowboys. After going 13-3 in 2016, Dallas limped to a 9-7 record amid injuries and suspensions and missed the playoffs last season.
For Jones specifically, a little-known part of the NFL constitution most likely contributed to the swift decision this week. Resolution FC-6, added to the constitution in 1997, gives the commissioner the power to demand reimbursement if a team or owner takes significant legal action against the league.
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