Raider's Russell Refutes Being Fined

NFL News - October 9th, 2009 - Written by Jimmy

Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell has been battered in the news recently for his apparent lack of focus, conditioning and overall love of the game.

Friday, he said all of those rumors are untrue.

"I don't really play into that and I don't have any truth to missing a lot of meetings because I'm the guy that needs to be in there and know what it takes for the guys around so I don't really play into that," Russell said, according to ProFootballTalk.

What he's responding to is a report by Boomer Esiason that he has been fined by the team for missing several meetings and activities. Oakland has become frustrated with their franchise quarterback, according to Esiason on CBS' NFL Today show, who has come to training camp out of shape and unfamiliar with the playbook. They are said to have fined him heavily because his behavior shows a "pattern not an aberration."

The Oakland Raiders have given Russell a long leash this season, mostly because there is no real alternative. Jeff Garcia was cut after the preseason and displayed no interest in returning to the club, leaving Bruce Gradkowski as the primary back-up. Meanwhile, Russell has the league's worst passer rating, missing his receivers more than 60-percent of the time. And most of those misses aren't even close. Commentators have blasted the third-year signal caller for not understanding the realities of being an NFL quarterback, suggesting that it's only going to get worse.

In the meantime, the Raiders last two first-round picks have bombed as well. Darren McFadden shredded his knee and is expected to miss at least four weeks, while Darrius Hayward-Bey only has two catches. Some of that has to do with Russell's inaccuracy, but clearly a pattern of poor judgement is punishing the franchise.

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