Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos could hear back from the NFL this week, specifically regarding veteran linebacker Alex Singleton over a hit that he put on Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold on “Thursday Night Football in Week 6.
“The helmet to Darnold’s stomach should have been textbook roughing the passer,” Pro Football Talk posted on X on October 15.
PFT’s post came during the fourth quarter.
It followed a second-and-10 play that started from the Seahawks’ 46-yard line, with Darnold finding tight end AJ Barner for a 4-yard gain. Broncos safety Devon Key was the one who made the tackle on Barner, while Singleton was officially credited with a quarterback hit.
Some fans pushed back on Pro Football Talk’s assertion in the comments, but the NFL’s view of the play will ultimately matter most.
Singleton has already received two fines this year, both for unnecessary roughness.
Broncos’ Alex Singleton Could Face NFL Discipline Again
His first came after Week 1, when he received a $11,492 fine for a “late hit” on running back Emmitt Johnson against the Kansas City Chiefs. The second, a $17,911 fine over a “hit on a defenseless player” against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, was rescinded.
Roughing the passer can incur fines of up to $17,911 for first-time infractions, per the NFL.
A second infraction can cost a player $23,882, and the fact that it was not called during a game is inconsequential, since the league reviews every game.
The situation could get even trickier for Singleton if the NFL determines his infraction was impermissible use of the helmet. That could carry a fine as high as $23,882 (first) and $47,762 (second).
It would also add a strike in another category, with three triggering a one-game suspension.
Singleton’s appeal took away his first strike for a “hit on a defenseless player,” but he also has one for the “late hit” in Week 1. Three strikes in one category would trigger the suspension.
Seahawks Player Could Hear From NFL This Week
Singleton’s supposed infraction was not flagged on the play, and no Broncos players drew flags for what would otherwise be considered fineable offenses. But Seahawks defensive lineman Byron Murphy could also receive a notice from the NFL.
Officials flagged Murphy for a face mask during the second quarter.
It happened on a third-and-10 play from the Broncos 21-yard line. Bo Nix found Marvin Mims Jr. for an 8-yard gain, with Murphy tallying the tackle.
What would have been fourth-and-2 from the Broncos 29 turned into a first-and-10 from Denver’s 44-yard line. The drive culminated seven plays later on a direct snap to running back RJ Harvey. That was the Broncos’ final touchdown of the game.
Denver punted on seven consecutive drives until hitting the game-winning field goal in overtime.
Murphy, like all players, is at the NFL’s mercy, since it levies fines and other punishments at its own discretion. Still, his play inarguably changed the complexion of the game.
Up next, the Broncos will look to keep up their winning ways on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, one of the Seahawks’ NFC West rivals, while Seattle will take on the Kansas City Chiefs at home.
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