Ravens Fined $250,000, Won’t Lose Draft Picks For November COVID Outbreak

It took an extra six days for the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers to eventually play their Week 12 affair at Heinz Field, thanks to numerous positive COVID-19 tests for the Ravens.

Baltimore had a total of 23 players on the COVID-19 reserve list leading up to the game. The outbreak started with strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders failing to wear a mask while dealing with Ravens players at the team’s facility.

Because of these developments, the NFL has fined the Ravens organization $250,000 for the coronavirus procedure violations, but the team will not lose a draft pick, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

Not losing a draft pick is big for the Ravens because they will have only five picks in the entire 2021 draft.

Not losing a draft pick from COVID-19 outbreak was huge for Ravens, who currently have 5 picks in the 2021 draft.

This would be Baltimore's fewest picks in 22 years.

But Ravens could get one or two comp picks for losing DT Michael Pierce and WR Seth Roberts.

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) December 27, 2020

The outbreak on the Ravens roster pushed the game, originally scheduled for Thanksgiving night, to the following Sunday.

From there, it was pushed to the following Tuesday and then finally Wednesday afternoon. The Steelers won the game 19-14 in an ugly affair. Baltimore was forced to start Robert Griffin III at quarterback after Lamar Jackson became ineligible due to COVID.

Griffin was then knocked out due to a hamstring injury, and Trace McSorley, one of 11 players promoted from the practice squad for the game, came on in relief. He made it interesting with a late 70-yard score to Marquise Brown with 2:58 to go before the Steelers held on for the win to move to 11-0.

The Ravens, now fully recovered, have won four straight since the loss in Pittsburgh. They currently have a 91.6% chance of making the postseason.