In order to make teams culpable for players who face suspension -- as opposed to only the players being punished -- the NFL recently announced it would fine teams with excessive suspended players on their roster.
The Dallas Cowboys appear to be the first team about to get a fine from the NFL and, according to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, it's going to be hefty.
Schefter reports the Cowboys are facing a $250,000 fine for having multiple players suspended.
The league has not announced the fine schedule for 2016 yet, but if it's the same as last year, the Cowboys could very well be staring down the barrel of a big number. (As Schefter notes, it's highly unlikely the fine decreases from 2015, when it was $250,000.)
Because the Cowboys have three players facing suspension -- in this case, Rolando McClain, Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence -- they're in a position to be fined.
Both McClain and Gregory are facing 10-game suspensions. Gregory was already dealing with a four-game suspension but another violation of the substance-abuse policy and the pass rusher checking into treatment has him facing a longer absence.
Lawrence had his appeal of a four-game suspension denied.
So it's very likely the Cowboys won't just deal with issues relating to their ability to put pressure on the quarterback as a result of these suspensions, but it's quite likely Jerry Jones' wallet will end up being a little bit lighter.
As noted by Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the Steelers are in a similar position, depending on what happens with Le'Veon Bell (he says he'll win an appeal of a four-game suspension for allegedly skipping drug tests). Martavis Bryant is already suspended for the full season, which means Bell and another player being suspended could put the Steelers in jeopardy for a fine as well.
