Monday’s scheduled OTA practice was forfeited by the Lions after they violated player work rules during organized team activities. The NFL and NFLPA informed the team of the violation, citing a breach of player work rules according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The incident marks the first punishment dealt to a team this offseason for excessive physicality during practices. However, it is not uncommon for teams to face consequences for such infractions in recent years. In a statement released by the team, they expressed their commitment to following the rules set forth by the NFL’s Offseason Program and vowed to be vigilant with their practices moving forward.
The Lions had conducted OTA practices on specific dates in May and were gearing up for their final three OTAs before the forfeiture was announced. With the mandatory minicamp already completed, the team will have practices only on Tuesday and Wednesday to conclude their offseason program. This setback comes after Coach Dan Campbell’s bold proclamation at his introductory news conference about the team’s aggressive approach on the field.