Buccaneers Forfeit OTA Practice After League Cites Too Many Players on Ground
Tampa Bay lost Wednesday's session after officials recorded three or four plays with too many players on the ground. The team resumed practice Thursday without further issues.
ESPNThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers forfeited a scheduled OTA practice this week after the league determined the team had been too physical during drills. " The penalty ended Wednesday's session, which had been planned after Tuesday's scheduled day off. Bowles said the violations involved about three or four plays.
"We're trying to practice safety as well," he said. " The NFL's collective bargaining agreement prohibits contact during OTA practices. The team returned Thursday and showed no further problems with physicality, ESPN reported.
"We're not trying to get nobody hurt," Bowles said. Running back Kenneth Gainwell acknowledged the need to adjust while preserving intensity. "I mean I think we've got to stay above the ground, but it's a mentality," Gainwell said.
"We want to have that mentality going into the season. " League spokesperson Brian McCarthy told ESPN that Bowles was not fined for the violation. The Detroit Lions lost an OTA practice in 2024 for the same infraction.
In 2022, then-Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera was fined $100,000 and the team forfeited two OTA practices. That year, then-Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy was also fined and his team lost a 2023 OTA session. The Chicago Bears forfeited an OTA practice in 2023 for excessive physicality.
The collective bargaining agreement holds head coaches personally responsible when practices become overly physical, though not every violation results in a fine.
