Sometimes, you just aren't afforded the benefit of the doubt.
If you are the Patriots, that "sometimes" can feel like "never," and for good reason. Once again, the team is in the middle of a rules violation controversy with the NFL, but for now, the issues aren't as clear-cut as in Spygate or Deflategate.
This infraction was committed in the 2023 offseason, and it resulted in the NFL taking away two of the team's 10 allotted OTA sessions, ESPN's Mike Reiss reported on May 24.
MORE: What does OTA stand for in football?
Reiss noted that Bill Belichick's team joins the Cowboys (2021, 2022), Bears (2022), 49ers (2021), Jaguars (2021), Ravens (2018) and Seahawks (2016) as franchises to be punished for violating offseason rules in recent years.
Here's what you need to know about the Patriots losing OTA time.
Why did the Patriots lose two OTA dates?
ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reported on May 25 that the Patriots' violation was related to a special teams meeting held earlier in the offseason.
In short, it wasn't designated optional and was included on the team's internal schedule. That meeting appearing on the internal schedule made it a mandatory gathering in the eyes of the NFLPA. At that point in the offseason, teams aren't allowed to have mandatory meetings, so it was a violation.
"The whole situation is in the past, it's resolved, and we've moved on. It was three meetings [in Phase 2 of the offseason program]," Belichick said, according to Reiss. "I'm responsible for it, so that's it."
Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal provided more details about the alleged violation. Evidently, special teams coordinator Joe Judge was at the heart of the issue. He had "conducted special teams meetings that caused offense and defense players to be at the facility longer than their maximum four hours," per a complaint filed by the NFLPA.
That lines up with Florio's report, which also outlined that the violation "had nothing to do with activities on the practice field, including whether or not there was impermissible contact" during their sessions.
As detailed in the NFL collective bargaining agreement, live contact is prohibited in OTAs. In 2022, the Cowboys were penalized for holding practices that were considered too physical. Head coach Mike McCarthy was fined $100,000 for that violation, but Bill Belichick won't face the same fate given that the Patriots' misstep was of a smaller proportion.
However, the NFL is still fining Belichick $50,000 for the unauthorized meeting. We'll have to see if any of that comes out of Judge's pay.
MORE: Breaking down Patriots' 2023 schedule
The two sessions removed from the Patriots' schedule were on May 25 and May 30. It is unclear whether more punishment is coming from the league, but it seems unlikely.
Even still, once the Patriots were revealed to have broken a rule, NFL fans were quick to pile on the franchise for its history of cheating. Belichick was a common theme on Twitter.
Are we surprised with Belicheat?
— 𝙇𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙧 (@BurntByBateman) May 25, 2023
Deflategate, spygate, now #otagate. Its time to ban the @Patriots from the nfl https://t.co/nMOXrwjzSF
— Ja'Crispy (@dufifghfid1) May 25, 2023
i would suggest the patriots stop cheating but cheating was the cornerstone of their dynasty https://t.co/GmMpcivmCY
— Denny Carter (@CDCarter13) May 25, 2023
Bill Belichick is the poster child for the saying
— Lorenzo Jackson (@CoachJack359) May 25, 2023
If you aint cheating you aint trying https://t.co/9RhW4NAOcU
The Patriots are known cheaters. When he’s not cheating, and he doesn’t have Tom Brady, Belichick is a drunk Norv Turner. https://t.co/jhTPyTwTLo
— MANIAC (@ZachSheldon) May 25, 2023
Cheating earlier than usual huh?
— PF (@RealistPF) May 25, 2023
Here's hoping the Patriots players enjoy those extra two days off.
