NFL fines Giants $150,000, McAdoo $50,000 for walkie-talkie
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The NFL has fined the New York Giants, coach Ben McAdoo and moved the team’s fourth-round pick in next year’s draft to the end of the round because the rookie coach used a walkie-talkie for about five plays during the fourth quarter of a game against Dallas a little more than a week ago.
The league notified the Giants on Tuesday that the franchise was fined $150,000 and McAdoo was fined $50,000.
The Giants’ fourth-round selection in the 2017 draft will be moved to the end of the fourth round, after any compensatory picks in that round, but no more than 12 selection spots from where they finished in draft order for that round.
McAdoo used the walkie-talkie early in the fourth quarter after his communications system malfunctioned.
The NFL’s game operations policy prohibits the use of two-way radios by coaches to communicate plays during a game.
The policy states “coaches are not permitted to hold a radio during a game because they will not be cut off when the Cutoff Switch Operator engages the cutoff.”
The cutoff system is engaged with 15 seconds left on the play clock or when the ball is snapped.
The Giants (10-4) won the game 10-7. The drive on which McAdoo used the walkie-talkie ended in a Dallas interception of Eli Manning.
“It was a clear violation of the rules, and we accept full responsibility and the penalty,” the Giants said in a statement.