Raiders Reportedly Under NFL Investigation for Violating COVID-19 Protocols

The NFL is investigating the Las Vegas Raiders for a violation of COVID-19 protocol after the team reportedly allowed an unauthorized person to enter the locker room.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the NFL is looking into whether a team employee who was not credentialed for Monday's game against the New Orleans Saints accessed the locker room. The league has a strict limit of 40 employees who are allowed to enter the locker room. 

The NFL already fined the Raiders $250,000 and coach Jon Gruden $100,000 for violations of the COVID protocol. Gruden was seen several times in Monday's game not wearing a mask, as mandated by the league. Five different franchises received a fine for their coach not adhering to the mask policy last week.

"I've had the virus," Gruden said. "I'm doing my best. I'm very sensitive about it. ... I'm calling plays. I just want to communicate in these situations, and if I get fined, I'll have to pay the fine. But I'm very sensitive about that and I apologize."

The NFL has successfully navigated the pandemic through the first two weeks of the regular season, thanks in large part to stringent protocols and daily testing. Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell became the first player placed on the reserve/COVID list Saturday since the beginning of the 2020 season after testing positive.

It's unclear if the unauthorized Raiders employee put the team in any potential danger, but the league has taken a no-tolerance policy with failures to adhere to policies for good reason. Any break in the protocols that leads to a spreading of the virus could threaten games, if not the entire season.