BUFFALO — The NFL has suspended another Buffalo Bills defender for a spitting incident in the team’s Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, this time defensive back and special teams captain Sam Franklin Jr.
Per a league announcement, Franklin will be suspended one game without pay because of an incident that occurred with 1:32 remaining in the Bills’ 33-30 victory following a successful Raiders extra point.
Franklin will appeal the suspension, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Franklin posted a slow-motion replay of the extra point in question to his Instagram stories a couple hours after the suspension was announced. The clip, which cuts off before the play ends and doesn’t show any of Franklin’s retaliation, comes with a caption that reads: "Not a dirty play what so ever! Will always defend myself though. Still won’t spit on anyone." At the bottom of the clip, he added the hashtag "#notthemcnuggets," hinting that he might’ve gotten checked in the groin during the play.
Franklin is the second Bills player suspended for spitting at an opponent in Week 6. The NFL has also suspended safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson one game without pay for an altercation earlier in the game wherein Gardner-Johnson spit in the direction of Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.
In both cases, the suspensions are deemed necessary based on NFL bylaws Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, referring to any act that is "contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship."
Barring a successful appeal, Franklin will miss the Bills’ Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Buffalo is 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 NFL veteran in his second year with the Bills, Franklin has been on the field for more than three quarters of Buffalo’s special teams snaps this season, logging six tackles in six games.
Speaking to reporters Monday about the Gardner-Johnson suspension, Bills coach Joe Brady said that there would be no further punishment doled out beyond the league ruling and that while he believes spitting at an opponent crosses a line, he doesn’t need all of his players to behave identically to build the winning culture he’s aiming for.
