NFL fines McAdoo and Giants, downgrades draft pick for walkie-talkie use

The NFL has announced its punishment for the New York Giants, and Ben McAdoo, regarding the head coach’s use of a hand-held radio on the sidelines during their Sunday night game against the Dallas Cowboys.

The NFL is fining Ben McAdoo $50,000, fining the Giants team $150,000, and downgrading the team’s fourth-round draft pick to the end of that round, after whatever compensatory picks are awarded.

The NFL did say that their pick would drop no more than 12 spots in the draft order. Where the Giants ultimately pick will be decided by their performance in the rest of the 2016 season (and the playoffs should they make it) and how many fourth-round compensatory picks the NFL awards after the season.

There were nine compensatory picks awarded at the end of the fourth round of the 2016 draft.

The punishment is considered light by some, particularly in comparison to other similar infractions. However, the Giants cooperated fully with the NFL, which also helped to expedite the process, and it was an isolated incident rather than something that happened in multiple games.