The Buffalo Bills already got bad news when it was revealed that starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson got suspended for spitting at Las Vegas Raiders star Brock Bowers in Week 6. What many didn’t realize is that there was a second spitting incident.
The NFL announced that they are suspending Bills safety Sam Franklin Jr. for getting into it with Raiders offensive lineman D.J. Glaze late in the game and spitting in the direction of other players.
“With 1:32 remaining in the fourth quarter following Las Vegas’ successful extra point attempt, Franklin Jr. spit at an opponent, violating Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to ‘any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship,'” the NFL wrote in a statement.
As Gardner-Johnson also learned, the NFL has zero tolerance right now for players spitting at each other. They started to crack down on this last season and are continuing to do so this season. Franklin is a special teams contributor and rarely gets snaps on the defense, but he’s a team captain for the Bills. They will no doubt be disappointed with the conduct of a player who is supposed to be a leader for the team.
Franklin Plans to Appeal
After the Raiders game, Gardner-Johnson admitted what he did and stated that he would accept whatever punishment the NFL gives him. The same can’t be said for Franklin.
According to ESPN, the veteran safety plans to appeal the suspension.
“Not a dirty play what so ever! Will always defend myself though. Still won’t spit on anyone,” Franklin posted on Instagram with a slow-motion replay of the play in question.
Time will tell if Franklin will be able to get out of the suspension, but it’s hard to imagine the league would suspend him without evidence. He was not called for a penalty, nor was he ejected during the game, so the league must be relying on strong video evidence.
Raiders Didn’t Want to Retaliate
Teams don’t take kindly to opponents spitting at them multiple times in one game, but the Raiders didn’t make it a point to retaliate after the game. According to head coach Klint Kubiak, he made it very clear that any type of retaliation would end in punishment for the player or players.
“That’s the expectation,” Kubiak said after the game. “We knew going in there were certain guys that were going to try to do that to us, and the players knew before the game that if they got into it, they’d be standing by me on the sideline.”
Kubiak is clearly trying to run a tight ship and make sure his players stay disciplined. Some coaches might not mind as much if their players want to stand up for themselves, but with the way the NFL is giving out these suspensions and fines, it’s always better for the players in the long run to avoid any kind of altercation. Thanks to that, the Raiders will have their full roster for their next game, while the Bills will be down two players.
Second Bills Player Get Punished by NFL For Spitting at Raiders