NOW HEAR THIS:
NFL found teams other than Chargers use towel product. Towels will be reviewed. Not allowed for rest of 2012: utsd.us/TuANH2
— Michael Gehlken (@UTgehlken) November 7, 2012
So, apparently, the San Diego Chargers were right when they said that other NFL teams use the same adhesive towel that they were caught using.
They're still being fined ($20,000) for not complying with a game official (for not immediately handing the towel over to the referee). Also, if I'm reading that tweet from Gehlken correctly, the towel is not allowed for the rest of the season (which probably means that it will be labeled as illegal when they change the rules in the offseason).
Was the towel illegal? Kind of. Maybe. However, since the rule book didn't specifically say that it was illegal, the Chargers and the other teams that were doing it will not be punished. This is good news, as it means that San Diego will not have to forfeit any draft picks.