The NFL suspended Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne one game without pay for punching Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown during Washington’s 44-22 loss on Sunday.
Payne can appeal the suspension, but if it stands, it would rule him out for Washington’s upcoming game against the Miami Dolphins in Madrid. He will be eligible to return to the team on Nov. 17.
The incident happened early in the second quarter, after Jahmyr Gibbs’ 13-yard touchdown run, his second score of the game. Payne and St. Brown had exchanged words earlier in the game, as did Commanders defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Payne was promptly ejected after punching St. Brown, and Kinlaw was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct following Detroit’s successful two-point conversion. His frustration boiled over and he made contact with an official, drawing the flag.
Kinlaw said in the locker room afterward that St. Brown punched Payne first.
“Daron only retaliated because the ref literally saw the first punch,” Kinlaw said. “You know what I’m saying? And I don’t blame him for the way he reacted, you know?”
Asked if he saw St. Brown throw a punch, Kinlaw said: “Yeah, for sure. And (the refs) did, too. S— was some bulls—, 100 percent.”
St. Brown said in the locker room that the two got in an earlier entanglement, but he did not say he threw a punch.
“I mean, I think two plays before that, we got into a little scuffle, back and forth, whatever, this, that, and the other,” he told reporters. “And then we end up scoring, and I go up to him. I say a little something, nothing crazy, and then he decides to swing on me, so, I mean, it is what it is.”
Washington coach Dan Quinn said he addressed the penalties “hard” at halftime, stressing that the Commanders needed to maintain their poise and “find a way to channel our frustration better.”
