Are the Jets guilty of their own spygate?

Profootballtalk.com is reporting that photos of a Jets staff member have been seen on the sidelines during the New York Jets – New England Patriots holding a camera and pointing it towards the Patriots sideline.

The image was seen at the start of the second quarter and appeared briefly.

Profootballtalk references the NFL Game Operations Manuel in that “no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches’ booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game,” and “all video shooting locations must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead.”

Occurring more than four years after the Spygate scandal in which the Patriots had their own cameraman on the sidelines for the Jets game, what do the Jets have to say for themselves? See on the next page with the photo of the cameraman.

The New York Jets have explained the presence of the cameraman.

Stating that the man “works for Jets TV and shoots footage for our team programming”  they believe they are not violating any rules.

In fact, the Jets point out the NFL’s policy on sideline media that permits “[c]lub video crews and video crews from television stations that produce and telecast club-licensed programming (e.g. coaches’ shows, team magazine-style shows, etc.) may also be permitted to have a camera on the sidelines to shoot footage for those club-licensed programs only.”

Such personnel are required to wear lime green vests.  The man shown with a camera was in a lime green vest.  (see pic below)

It’s a very weird rule and seems like it requires the honor system and coaches to police themselves; something that cannot always be trusted in the NFL.