Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne is receiving further punishment for punching wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in his team’s 44-22 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Payne has received a one-game suspension from the league after getting ejected for the hit in Sunday’s game, the NFL announced Monday.
“During the second quarter, Payne was disqualified for striking Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown, a violation of Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to ‘any act which is contrary to the general understood principles of sportsmanship,’ including ‘throwing a punch or a forearm,’ and Rule 12, Section 2, Article 14(d), which prohibits ‘striking, swinging at, or clubbing the head or neck of an opponent with the wrist(s), arm(s), elbow(s), or hand(s),” the league said in a statement on Sunday.
Payne will be allowed to appeal the suspension. If the suspension is upheld, he’ll miss the Commanders’ game against the Miami Dolphins in Spain on Sunday.
The punch occurred following Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs‘ touchdown run in the second quarter, which put Detroit up, 20-3 at the time. As St. Brown trailed his Lions teammates walking back to the sideline, Payne swung and hit him.
“I mean, I think two plays before that, we got into a little scuffle, back and forth, whatever, this, that, and the other, and then we end up scoring, and I go up to him,” St. Brown told reporters of the incident after the game. “I say a little something, nothing crazy, and then he decides to swing on me, so, I mean, it is what it is.”
One of Payne’s Commanders teammates, defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw, defended him after the game, accusing St. Brown of starting the incident.
“Daron only retaliated because the refs literally saw the first punch,” Kinlaw told reporters. “I don’t blame him for the way he reacted. Tempers got to flying. I mean, it is what it is — it’s a physical game; s— happens. But, on my end, I just got to be smarter in some situations and protect the team.
“Yeah, for sure, and they did, too,” Payne said in a follow-up when asked if he felt the refs saw the apparent hit from St. Brown. “It was some bulls—. 100%.”
As of Monday morning, there hasn’t been a clip that’s surfaced of St. Brown hitting Payne. The clip that shows Payne hitting St. Brown doesn’t show the Lions wide receiver engaging with him in any way prior to the hit, either.
Kinlaw was also called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following the Lions’ two-point try on the play after Payne’s ejection.
Payne has 30 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble this season. With Sunday’s loss, the Commanders fell to 3-7 on the year.
