Buffalo Bills safety Sam Franklin just got a massive break, with his Week 6 spitting suspension at a Las Vegas Raiders player officially slashed down to a $14,926 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct. It’s a wild outcome, especially when you consider his teammate, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, faced the exact same accusation and got his one-game ban upheld on appeal. Talk about different rulings for the same alleged offense.
Spit Take or Spit Fails? The Week 6 Drama
This whole mess started in Week 6 during Buffalo’s tight 33-30 win over the Raiders. With only 1:32 left, after Vegas kicked an extra point, Franklin was accused of spitting at a Raiders player. He immediately shot back, denying the whole thing and vowing to appeal. Hearing officer James Thrash, who’s a joint appointment by the league and the NFL Players Association, heard the appeal and decided to give Franklin a pass on the game suspension, opting for the cash penalty instead. It’s a huge win for Franklin, letting him suit up when the Bills come back from their bye for Week 8.
One Player In, One Player Out
But here’s the kicker: C.J. Gardner-Johnson, also a Bills safety, was slapped with a one-game ban for allegedly spitting at a Raiders player in the *same game*. His appeal? Totally denied. So, Franklin is clear to play, but Gardner-Johnson is still sitting out. It’s a head-scratcher, honestly. How do two players, accused of the same act in the same game, get such wildly different outcomes? It’s not a good look when the league’s discipline seems so inconsistent.
This situation means the Bills get Franklin back for their Week 8 matchup post-bye, which is a relief for their secondary. But they’ll still be without Gardner-Johnson, leaving a hole they’ll have to fill. It’ll be interesting to see how the team handles this coming out of the bye week, especially with one player dodging a game off while the other isn’t so lucky.
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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