Report: Fox and Del Rio Likely to be Fined

This photo of Denver Broncos coach John Fox shouting at the NFL replacement refs went viral Monday night. (US Presswire photo)

ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that Denver Broncos head coach John Fox and Jack Del Rio are likely to be fined in the vicinity of $20,000 for their part in the ruckus that ensued in last week’s Monday Night Football loss in Atlanta. Fox at one point appeared to have been flagged for something he said to a sideline judge, but the flag was picked up during a conference in which something else was penalized.

As PFT points out, the timing is a little weird. Normally fines occur on Fridays, it could be the fact that there are not players involved. However, it is more likely the NFL wanting to avoid the possibility of allowing every NFL talk show to readdress the accountability of the replacement referees as everyone turns on their televisions to prepare for today’s games.

Twenty-thousand dollars to a coach is no joke, players tend to make much more than coaches (especially coordinators), so this the NFL definitely coming down with the hammer and using Fox and Del Rio as their figurative heads on a pike.  Still, I cannot expect coaches like these to calm down, especially when the game is on the line.

UPDATE: Or will they? According to the Denver Post’s Mike Klis, neither Fox nor Del Rio have been informed of this fine… Yet, ESPN was. Odd.

UPDATE (9/24 3:35 PM EST): According to the NFL Network’s Albert Breer, John Fox is fined $30,000 and Jack Del Rio $25,000.

My take? The Broncos should fine the NFL and refund those Broncos fans who made the trip to Atlanta to watch a game that at best had questionable calls and at worst had such terrible calls that it cost Denver a win.