The NFL acted swiftly in handing out punishment for Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne, suspending him for 1 game the day after he punched Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in a Week 10 loss.
Payne will miss the Commanders’ Week 11 game against the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, Spain.
The Commanders lost to the Lions, 44-22, for their fifth consecutive defeat. The loss dropped the Commanders to 3-7 overall.
“The NFL has suspended Commanders DT Daron Payne one game for punching Amon-Ra St. Brown on Sunday,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted on his official X account on Monday, November 10.
Payne punched St. Brown with under 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter after St. Brown scored a touchdown to put the Lions up 14-3.
Payne, a 2018 first round pick (No. 13 overall), has spent his entire career with the Commanders and signed a 4-year, $90 million contract extension in March 2023.
It’s only the second time he’s run afoul of the NFL — he was fined $10,927 for unsportsmanlike conduct in December 2023 following a game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Payne has the right to appeal his suspension. With a base bay of $19.56 million for 2025, losing one game check will cost Payne approximately $1.08 million.
Payne Fought Teammate on Sideline in 2021
Payne was on the receiving end of a punch on the Commanders sideline in December 2021, when he poked defensive tackle and fellow Alabama product Jonathan Allen in the face, then Allen stood up and punched Payne in the face.
The fight occurred during a 56-14, blowout loss to the rival Dallas Cowboys late in a season in which the Commanders finished 3-14.
“I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist,” Allen told ESPN’s John Keim when asked about the incident. “If you look at how that game went, emotions are high, things are high, things happen.”
“Just a little brotherly disagreement; maybe the wrong place, wrong time, but it happened,” Payne told Keim.
Payne won a pair of national championships at Alabama, including being named defensive MVP of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Commanders Could Cut Payne in 2026
This might be the final season in Washington for Payne, who earned his only Pro Bowl nod in 2022.
Before the season, The Athletic’s Ben Standig predicted Payne could be a salary cap casualty after this season. Allen was a salary cap casualty after last season.
“(Payne) earned a 2022 Pro Bowl selection with 11 1/2 sacks, 20 QB hits and 18 tackles for loss,” Standig wrote. “… Over the next two seasons — and after signing a four-year, $90 million extension — Payne compiled eight total sacks, 18 QB hits and 18 tackles for loss. Even if there’s a role/usage excuse following last year’s coaching staff change, the hulking 320-pounder rarely made a distinct presence in games compared to those 2022 highs. Doing so this season would not only help lift a potentially meh line, but also put Payne in a position for another significant contract from Washington or another team entering his age-29 season. Otherwise, he’s an obvious salary-cap cut next offseason and a reason why Washington’s defensive ceiling wouldn’t rise in 2025.”
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