The NFL has suspended Buffalo Bills defensive back and special teams captain Sam Franklin Jr. for one game without pay after an incident during the team's Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Franklin is the second Bills player suspended for spitting at an opponent in that game, following a suspension of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson for spitting in the direction of Raiders tight end Brock Bowers earlier in the contest.
The incident occurred with 1:32 remaining in the Bills' 33-30 victory, following a successful Raiders extra point. Franklin will appeal the suspension, according to sources who spoke to ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Hours after the announcement, Franklin posted a slow-motion replay of the play to his Instagram stories, captioned "Not a dirty play what so ever! Will always defend myself though. Still won't spit on anyone." He also added the hashtag "#notthemcnuggets," hinting that he may have been struck in the groin during the play.
The NFL cited Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which covers any act that is "contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship." Barring a successful appeal, Franklin will miss Buffalo's Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Bills are on a bye this week. Any appeal would be heard by Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera or James Thrash, who are jointly appointed and paid by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
A seven-year veteran in his second season with Buffalo, Franklin has played more than three quarters of the Bills' special teams snaps this season, recording six tackles in six games. Bills coach Joe Brady said Monday that no further punishment would follow the league ruling. While he believes spitting at an opponent crosses a line, he said he does not need every player to behave identically to build the winning culture he is aiming for.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing