Golden Nuggets: NFL will fine unvaccinated players over $14,000 each time they break protocol

Your daily San Francisco 49ers links for Monday, July 26, 2021

The 49ers released edge rusher Daeshon Hall on Sunday, which opened up one roster spot as the team gets set to report to training camp on Tuesday. According to Over the Cap, the 49ers have $17 million in cap space, but that’s before you count Trey Lance’s cap hit of $6.2 million whenever the rookie quarterback signs his deal.

Trade request could end one of 49ers’ NFC West nightmares

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Sunday reported Cardinals veteran defensive end Chandler Jones officially requested a trade because of a rift stemming from his contract and his future with the club.

While there’s nothing imminent, Jones would likely have at least some market despite turning 31 this offseason and playing in only five games last season. Jones since joining the Cardinals in 2016 has been to two Pro Bowls and twice been a First-Team All-Pro. In 69 games with the Cardinals Jones has 61 sacks, 17 forced fumbles, 105 quarterback hits and 68 tackles for loss.

The 49ers would love to see Jones exit their division, which already features Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, JJ Watt, Bobby Wagner and Earl Thomas.

Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams ‘Last Dance’ posts trolled by George Kittle

George Kittle decided to get in on the fun after his friend and Packers tight end Robert Tonyan also posted an image from ESPN’s infamous Michael Jordan docuseries “The Last Dance.”

Tonyan, who is a close friend of Kittle’s, shared a photo of Dennis Rodman on his Instagram story. Rodman also was part of that 1997-98 Chicago Bulls squad that won Jordan’s sixth and final NBA championship.

Kittle’s image featured Patrick Ewing — a longtime on-court nemesis of Jordan and the Bulls — and Rodman together on the court.

Details On Fred Warner’s ‘Unique’ 49ers Extension

But beyond that, Rapoport writes that the pact has a “unique structure that essentially makes it two deals in one.” Warner’s contract is for five years, but voids after the first three. He’ll get $54.9MM in new money over those three years, an average of $18.3MM per year.

That would mean Warner would get $76.75MM over the first four years, an average of around $19.2MM annually. The way Rapsheet describes it, it’s a “record-breaking short-term extension that’s nearly 70 percent guaranteed” for Warner, that “also gives the 49ers a choice to make a few years down the road.”

The NFL just delivered a PR win to Deshaun Watson in his sexual misconduct litigation

Despite investigating Watson since March — following the filing of civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct against 23 women (one has since withdrawn litigation) — the league office chose not to put Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list prior to the start of training camp.

It means that the league has gone through its process up to this point and still hasn’t been compelled to force Watson onto paid leave. That doesn’t necessarily mean Watson will never be sidelined by the NFL, but it’s notable that the league office hasn’t reached that juncture following more than four months of investigation. At the very least, that gives Watson additional public relations traction, given that the Houston Police Department’s investigation (which has also been ongoing for more than four months) hasn’t produced criminal charges tied to the civil lawsuits.

NFL will fine unvaccinated players over $14,000 each time they break protocol

ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported that the NFL will fine unvaccinated players $14,650 every time they’re caught breaking health and safety protocols.

The fine was first revealed by Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, who told the Tampa Bay Times that Buccaneers players would be fined over $14,000 every time they break a rule. It was first thought to be a rule Arians himself had instituted, but Arians told ESPN that the fine is “NFL policy.” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to ESPN that Arians was correct and that the rule comes from them and not the individual teams