Sam Franklin suspended by NFL over Las Vegas spitting allegation
The NFL suspended Buffalo Bills defensive back Sam Franklin for one game on Wednesday over an on-field Las Vegas incident. He will lose one game of pay and plans to appeal the league discipline. The penalty followed an accusation of spitting at an opponent.
Franklin denies the allegation, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private. Whether Franklin spit at anyone remains unclear.
The league determined Franklin broke sportsmanship rules on Sunday during Buffalo’s 33-30 victory. Officials said the incident happened with 1:32 left in the game. It occurred right after a successful Raiders extra-point attempt.
A video posted on social media by an NFL Network reporter shows an altercation. Raiders tackle Delmar Glaze blocked linebacker Michael Hoecht. Glaze also pulled Franklin’s undershirt.
Franklin shoved Glaze from the side. Glaze then turned and appeared to push Franklin’s helmet. Game officials did not penalize Franklin at that moment.
Franklin serves as a special teams ace for Buffalo. Starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson also received a one-game suspension for spitting toward Raiders players. Game officials ejected Gardner-Johnson during the second quarter.
Television cameras captured that second-quarter incident. Gardner-Johnson apologized to his teammates. He spoke to reporters in Las Vegas.
“I’ll take my consequences.”
Gardner-Johnson added that he must control his emotions better. Franklin and Bills coach Joe Brady were not immediately made available to reporters.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, players can challenge league discipline before jointly appointed hearing officers. An appeal process allows an independent review of penalties issued for on-field conduct violations.
Buffalo enters its bye week with a 5-1 record. The suspensions start Oct. 26 and end Nov. 2. That timeline concludes one day after the team hosts the Baltimore Ravens in Orchard Park.
