NFL Fines Lions' St. Brown $12,172 for Roughness

The NFL has fined Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown $12,172 for unnecessary roughness after he struck Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne in the helmet during a second-quarter scuffle in Sunday's game at Northwest Stadium. The incident, which occurred during the Lions' 44-22 victory, escalated two plays later when Payne punched St. Brown following a Detroit touchdown, leading to Payne's ejection and a one-game suspension.

The altercation began about four minutes into the second quarter after a run by Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs gained no yards. Video footage, later shared by Payne on Instagram, showed Payne pushing St. Brown amid a pileup on the field. St. Brown responded by shoving Payne and then striking him near the facemask in front of an official, who did not throw a flag. Officials reviewed the play but did not penalize St. Brown during the game. Tensions appeared to stem from ongoing verbal exchanges between the two players.

Two plays after the initial exchange, Gibbs scored on a 13-yard touchdown run, giving Detroit a 22-3 lead. As St. Brown walked toward the Lions' bench, Payne punched him, resulting in the ejection. The league upheld...