Bills' Sam Franklin Has One-Game Suspension Overturned After Appeal
The NFL reduces the defensive back's penalty to a $14,926 fine following an incident during a game against the Raiders.
Buffalo Bills defensive back Sam Franklin had his one-game suspension overturned on Friday after successfully appealing the NFL’s decision. The league will instead fine Franklin $14,926 for the incident, which occurred during the Bills’ Week 6 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The NFL had initially suspended Franklin, 30, for one game after he was accused of spitting at Raiders offensive lineman DJ Glaze following an extra point attempt in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ 33-30 win. Video evidence of the play was inconclusive regarding whether Franklin actually spat on Glaze.
Franklin’s agents, Harold C. Lewis and Christian Addison, issued a statement to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, expressing their satisfaction with the overturned suspension. "As we said from the start, Sam did not and would never spit at an opponent, and there was no evidence that he did," the statement read. "We’re glad the suspension was overturned and grateful to the hearing officer for a fair and thorough review."
The agents also criticized the league’s initial decision, stating, "It’s unfortunate the league suspended Sam in the first place based on an unsupported accusation that received so much undeserved attention, and we hope the outcome is covered just as widely." They also highlighted concerns regarding Glaze’s actions during the game, noting that the Raiders player struck Franklin in the groin twice.
This situation arose shortly after another incident in the same game where Bills teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson was ejected and subsequently suspended for one game for spitting at Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. Unlike Franklin, Gardner-Johnson’s suspension was upheld by the league following his appeal.