Commanders' Daron Payne Suspended After Altercation with Lions' St. Brown

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne is set to sit out for one game due to a suspension resulting from an incident during the recent game against the Detroit Lions. Payne's suspension comes after he was involved in a physical confrontation with Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, during which he threw a punch.

The situation escalated after St. Brown appeared to throw a punch at Payne earlier in the matchup, a moment captured in a video shared by Payne on Instagram. After the game, St. Brown acknowledged that he had been antagonizing Payne but refrained from confirming whether he had physically struck him first. "Two plays before that we got into a little scuffle, back and forth," St. Brown explained. "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."

Payne's teammate, Javon Kinlaw, came to his defense, asserting that the referees were aware of the first punch thrown and calling Payne's reaction understandable. "Yeah for sure, and they (saw it), too. It's some bulls--t. 100 percent. Daron retaliated. The refs literally saw the first punch. I don't blame him for the way he reacted. Tempers got to flaring," Kinlaw stated.

Despite the context of the incident, Payne's actions led to an upheld suspension appeal by hearing officer Ramon Foster. Consequently, he will miss Washington's Week 11 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, which will be held in Spain.

This latest setback adds to the Commanders' troubles this season. Following a promising earlier season, where hopes were high after reaching the NFC Championship game last year, Washington has struggled significantly, dropping to a disappointing 3-7 record following the blowout loss to the Lions. Injuries have severely plagued the team, with quarterback Jayden Daniels sidelined with a dislocated elbow after only six games and star receiver Terry McLaurin limited to four games due to a quad injury.

Throughout this tumultuous season, Payne has stood out as one of the few bright spots for the Commanders, racking up 30 tackles, five passes defended, and one sack. His absence will undoubtedly be felt on a defense that ranks 30th in yards allowed per game (394.6) and 29th in points allowed per game (28).

With the difficulties mounting, things are about to become even more challenging for the Commanders in the coming weeks without Payne on the field.