National Football League
Jaguars ready to fine players for injury talk
National Football League

Jaguars ready to fine players for injury talk

Published Jul. 28, 2012 12:15 a.m. ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars want to keep injury information in house. And they're ready to levy a stiff penalty for anyone caught breaking the rules.

Coach Mike Mularkey told players during a team meeting Thursday night that talking publicly about injuries could result in a hefty fine. Cornerback Rashean Mathis, the team's NFLPA representative, said Friday the fine would be nearly $10,000.

Mathis added that players have no objections to the proposed penalty.

''We're not concerned about that from a player standpoint. We're supporting the coach and that's what it's all about,'' Mathis said. ''You're more likely to accept things if somebody's not going to throw you under the bus. There's little things you don't have to worry about, and it makes it smooth sailing. To implement one rule, it's not going to affect the team.''

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Nonetheless, the NFL Players Association anticipates making a ''general inquiry'' into the proposed fines.

Mularkey said the team sent all of its proposals to the league for approval, adding that the NFL signed off on the one involving injury talk.

''Yes, absolutely,'' he said. ''Everything that we believe we would like to address, we send that to the league, and the league approves everything.''

Mularkey said the NFL mandates that teams go over the league's rules and procedures handbook before camp. He said the team has the option of adding its own rules to the NFL's list, and that's where the injury crackdown arose.

''There's some rules that we apply as an organization, as a staff, as a training room, as an equipment room, as a weight room,'' Mularkey said. ''We all have rules that we want players to abide by and all have fines attached to them. ... I told them I'm not here to fine them. I don't want to be a coach to take your money. This is for people that just - I don't think we have them in the locker room - that we have to address if we don't do it the right way.''

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