At what felt like the exact same time the New England Patriots signed Cam Newton, it came out that the NFL had issued penalties on the Patriots for their film crew filming the sideline of the Cincinnati Bengals during a game back in December.
The penalties include a loss in a 2021 third round draft pick, a fine worth $1.1 million, members of the Patriots’ production crews will not be permitted to film games during the 2020 season, and senior officials of the team will be required to participate in training regarding league operation and game policies, this according to league spokesperson Michael Signora.
David Mondillo, who played a primary role in the incident was suspended by the team, was also banned from all league facilities until further notice.
At the time of the incident, the Patriots recognized that what they did was wrong, and said that the film crew was credentialed to shoot a video as a part of a Patriots’ web series. In a statement back in December, the franchise said, “The sole purpose of the filming was to provide an illustration of an advance scout at work on the road. There was no intention of using footage for any other purpose.”
