Harbaugh Accepts Full Responsibility For NFL Punishment
Baltimore (WJZ) -- The Baltimore Ravens were punished by the NFL under the Collective Bargaining Agreement for violating the offseason workout rules. The Ravens put rookies and first year players on pads for approximately five minutes during rookie minicamps. Due to the violation, the Ravens will be forced to forfeit one week of OTA sessions (June 1-3) and both the organization and head coach John Harbaugh have been fined. Per Jim Trotter of ESPN, the Ravens were fined $343,057 while Head Coach John Harbaugh was fined $137,223 for the violation.
Related: Ravens Will Forfeit A Week of OTAs, Harbaugh Fined
John Harbaugh spoke to reporters about the punishment following an OTA session on Thursday and was more than willing to accept responsibility: "There's not one player or coach that should worry about it for one second. You shouldn't have any anxiety about it because it's on me. It's completely me. It was my decision. It was my effort. That's the situation that we're in. We'll adjust, we'll adapt, and we'll still become the best football team we can be."
This isn't the first time the Ravens have gotten in trouble with the NFL regarding practice violations. In 2010, the NFL forced Baltimore to cancel their last week of OTAs due to rules regarding the intensity and tempo of drills conducted earlier that offseason, as well as the length of time spent at the team facility by their players.
