The NFL has suspended Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne for one game after he punched Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown during Sunday’s 44–22 loss in Landover, Maryland. Payne was suspended without pay for unsportsmanlike conduct; he has the option to appeal the suspension.
The incident occurred midway through the second quarter, shortly after Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored on a 13-yard touchdown run. As players regrouped, Payne suddenly turned toward St. Brown and threw a right-handed punch that landed squarely on the receiver’s helmet. Officials immediately flagged Payne for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected him from the game. St. Brown later told reporters the altercation had been brewing for a couple of plays: “We end up scoring and I go up to him and say a little something, nothing crazy, and he decided to swing on me. It is what it is,” said St. Brown.
The league stated in announcing the suspension that: “During the second quarter, Payne was disqualified for striking Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown, a violation of Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 … and Rule 12, Section 2, Article 14(d). The rules prohibit any act “contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship,” including “throwing a punch” or “clubbing the head or neck of an opponent.”
The 28-year-old Payne, one of the team’s highest-paid players, signed a four-year, $90 million contract extension before the 2023 season. The former first-round pick out of Alabama has been a key part of Washington’s defense since being drafted in 2018. A 2022 Pro Bowl selection, Payne recorded no tackles before his ejection from Sunday’s gam. Through ten starts this season, he had totaled 30 combined tackles, five for loss, five passes defended, a sack, and a forced fumble.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn acknowledged the team’s growing frustration after the loss, which marked Washington’s fifth straight defeat. “It wasn’t spilling into the locker room, but I get the frustration. But we’ve gotta find a way to channel our frustration better or different than that.”
Payne is eligible to return to the active roster on November 17; the Commanders are scheduled to play the Dolphins in Madrid next Sunday, November 16 so Payne would be eligible to return to the team the following day.
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