Bills safety Sam Franklin is officially cleared to play this Sunday against the Ravens, and honestly, it’s a head-scratcher. Raiders right tackle DJ Glaze is on record saying Franklin spit directly at him during their Week 6 matchup, yet the NFL just reduced Franklin’s one-game suspension to a measly $14,926 fine after an appeal. You’ve got to be kidding me.
The Accusation That Got Watered Down
This whole mess started when the Raiders lodged an allegation that Franklin spit at Glaze late in their Week 6 win. The league initially handed down a one-game suspension, which felt like the right call for that kind of garbage behavior. But then, last week, Franklin successfully appealed, and the one-game ban got swapped for a fine. A fine! Like that’s going to stop anyone from doing something so blatantly disrespectful on the field.
Glaze Isn’t Backing Down, And Neither Should We
Despite the league’s ruling, Glaze is sticking to his story, and frankly, why wouldn’t he? He said Wednesday that Franklin “was, like, face to face, and he just let it rip.” That’s not some vague accusation, that’s a direct account of what went down. Glaze believes the suspension was overturned because there wasn’t the “clear evidence” that led to Franklin’s teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s ejection and suspension for spitting at Glaze’s teammate Brock Bowers. Franklin has denied the allegation, and Bills head coach Joe Brady even dismissed it as “hearsay” during his own press conference. But Glaze isn’t mincing words, telling TheAthletic.com, “He did. He said he didn’t. You know, he did.” His frustration is clear, even if he resignedly added, “But it is what it is at this point. It happened. And the NFL did what they did about it.” It’s hard not to feel like “what they did about it” isn’t nearly enough.
Now, Franklin is free to play this Sunday against the Ravens. It’s a tough look for the league when a player can be accused so directly of spitting on an opponent, have that claim corroborated by the victim, and still manage to get off with just a fine. You have to wonder what message that sends to every player out there.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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