Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch loses $100,000 for violating media policy

RENTON, Wash. — Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was fined $50,000 for violating the league's media policy when he refused to speak to reporters following Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, league spokesman Michael Signora confirmed to USA TODAY Sports in an e-mail Wednesday.

It is Lynch's third violation of the policy.

The league will also collect an additional $50,000 fine from Lynch that was held in abeyance last year in anticipation of his future cooperation following repeated violations of the policy last season.

The fine was first reported by ESPN.

The NFL's media policy mandates that players must be available to reporters during the practice week at the team facility and in the locker room following all games. Fines collected by the league are donated through the NFL Foundation to assist former players in need via the NFL Player Care Foundation and the NFLPA's Player Assistance Trust.

This is what the league's media cooperation policy requires of its players:

— "Players must be available to the media following every game and regularly during the practice week as required under league rules. Star players, or other players with unusually heavy media demands, must be available to the media that regularly cover their teams at least once during the practice week in addition to their required post-game media availability."

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— "Each club will open its locker room during the normal practice week (based on a Sunday game) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to all accredited media for player interviews for a minimum of 45 minutes."

Lower-profile players have to be available throughout the practice week, however those with the "star player/unusually heavy media demand" classification (as selected by the club, typically one or two per team) only have to be available once per week and after games.

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